Our Challenges

Rising Costs, Falling Support

Like many rural Minnesota school districts, Fosston Public Schools is being squeezed by rising costs, unfunded government mandates and shrinking state funding.

20 years

State funding has not kept up with the rising cost of education for two decades, leaving schools to close the gap locally.

Loss of $250K

The state support we lost last year to help cover services like reading and math supports that keep students from falling behind.

Unfunded

Costly government mandates continue to add financial pressure, with no state funding to cover them.

We have already looked for savings and made budget reductions where possible, but the need is larger than efficiencies alone can solve without affecting students.

Group of children in a classroom holding handmade crafts shaped like reindeer. Some children are smiling, and there are classroom posters and whiteboards in the background.
A high school football game in progress. A player in a white jersey with black helmet is running with the ball, while players in red jerseys are trying to tackle him. Spectators are seated in the stands in the background.
Children in a classroom sitting at tables engaged in a science activity with various science supplies, notebooks, and worksheets, with a teacher assisting them.
Five young men in matching dark jackets and ties standing in front of a maroon wall with a winged emblem. The middle man holds a trophy and blue ribbon, while the others display various ribbons and medals, smiling and pointing.

Difficult cuts over the last few years include:

  • Reducing staffing in CTE Programs, Pre-K, High School Science, High School English, Elementary Teaching and support staff, Art and Food Service, and extracurriculars.

  • Discontinuing and reducing student programs, extracurriculars and athletics.

Total savings created through recent budget adjustments is more than:

$600,000

Our district is facing a budget shortfall of about $1 million, threatening cuts that would reach our classrooms and impact students.

Without new funding, continued budget challenges would mean:

  1. Fewer Student Opportunities: Putting reading and math support, career and technical education and extracurriculars at risk.

  2. Cuts to Student Programs and Services: The classes programs and services our students rely on become harder to sustain.

  3. Larger Class Sizes and Staffing Cuts: Fewer teachers means more students in every classroom.

  4. Less Local Control: Giving the state more control of local decisions about local students.