Byron officials announce recommendations for budget cuts

Byron residents got a first look at the budget reductions facing the district as school administrators presented their recommendations to the school board Tuesday night. School administrators were directed to look at ways to cut $1.6 million from the 2025-2026 budget to correct a budget shortfall. Earlier district officials cut a similar amount from the current year’s budget.
Superintendent Mike Neubeck explained that cuts were being recommended across the board although the largest share would be reached through reductions in staff. The recommendations also include cuts in athletics, technology and districtwide. The recommendations also consider ways the district can increase revenues.
The recommendations, Neubeck said, would allow the district to reduce expenditures without cutting out entire programs, classes or activities. In some cases, he said, class sizes would be increased and the number of sections would be reduced.
Staff reductions would include 12 teaching positions, seven in kindergarten through grade five, one at the middle school level and four at the high school.
Other recommendations included reducing the counseling staff and the number of licensed school nurses, reducing the tech specialist position to.5 FTE, as well as reducing the number of days that school receptionists would be working from 190 days a year to 183 days. Paraprofessional would be recoded SPED and the elementary assistant principal position would be reduced to dean. These staff reductions would save the district $1,340,472, administrators said.
The district will save $81,174 by reducing athletic supply budgets, eliminating school contribution to ETS, eliminating HUDL, reduce coaches/teams by cutting athletes, reduce state tournament/coaching clinics and reduce the dance program.
Technology areas could save $52,000 a year by reducing supplies and subscriptions and also by eliminating supplying Chromebooks to seniors. Chromebooks would still be provided to students in grades nine through juniors.
Reductions of $324,500 were also recommended district wide including reducing capital budgets, reducing district office fees, reducing graduate credit for WSU interns, reducing operational costs, Ramsey subscription, SELCO subscription and CE chargebacks.
Revenue generating recommendations included increasing the amount students who live within walking distance would pay to use school transportation, an increase in fees for students who are open enrolled in the Byron district, charging students kindergarten through eighth grade $50 for a student activity pass, increasing the fees for an adult activity pass by $20, increasing MA billing and an additional lease levy for gymnastics.
Revenue generating recommendations would total $107,580.
There would be some additions to the budget including SPED teacher, elementary, middle school and high school overloads, extended contractual days and health aides costing the district $268,476.
Among the administrative changes for the coming year would be moving the K-5 assistant principal/activities director to a dean/literacy lead/K-5 curriculum support positions and moving the activities director position back to the high school.
The K-5 principal position will remain the same.
If all the recommendations are approved the overall amount saved will be $1,617, 250.
No decisions were made at Tuesday’s meeting. The board will discuss the recommendations at a special meeting on Monday, February 24 including specific staff positions that will be affected. It is anticipated that the board will make a decision regarding the recommendations at that meeting.