ELY — Ely Public Schools is staring down its third consecutive year of budget cuts, with declining enrollment and rising costs forcing district leaders to consider a four-day school week as one option to close a nearly $300,000 gap.
Finance Manager Jordan Huntbatch outlined the district’s financial challenges at Tuesday’s school board meeting. Enrollment is projected to drop by 16 students next year, cutting roughly $160,000 in state funding.
Post-secondary enrollment option costs are climbing. Meanwhile, this year’s revised budget already shows approximately $100,000 more in expenses than originally planned.
“We’re not out of the woods yet for sure,” Huntbatch said. “We’re going to be looking at our third year of reductions.”
The district has already cut substantially. The first year brought $250,000 in reductions, carefully
structured to minimize impact on students. Last year saw cuts just under $416,000. Now the district faces another round.
A four-day school week could save between $130,000 and $150,000 in operating funds, Superintendent Anne Oelke said. That figure is substantial enough that district leaders say they cannot ignore the option.
“We would probably be very remiss if we didn’t talk about it,” she said.
Oelke stressed the preliminary nature of the discussions. No decisions have been made. The district plans to develop a detailed timeline showing how such a significant change would unfold, including communication with families and staff.
“The more we start talking about it, the more people come forward with questions, concerns, comments,” Oelke said.
Board Chair Rochelle Sjoberg emphasized the board’s responsibility to examine all options given the financial pressure.
“It is a significant amount of savings at this point,” Sjoberg said. “It is something that the board should not be not looking at.”
Some bright spots emerged from Huntbatch’s report. The district budgeted conservatively last spring, projecting 461 students in average daily membership. Current enrollment sits at 466, providing some cushion against unexpected expenses.
Those unexpected costs accumulated throughout the year. A part-time teacher position expanded from 0.6 to full-time in November. Health insurance costs jumped during open enrollment, with two new families adding coverage plus additional changes. The district hired a new paraprofessional when a new student enrolled. Long-term substitute costs mounted as staff took leave.
The revised fiscal year 2026 budget will come before the board at a special meeting following the Feb. 23 study session. Between then and now, the board will continue discussions about reductions and potential changes.
Oelke promised transparency throughout the process, following the approach used in previous budget cycles.
“We’ll be as transparent as possible so that nobody’s caught off guard and that there’s no surprises,” Oelke said. “I don’t want any surprises.”
The district is also working to increase revenue. A grant writer position was posted recently, with applications closing this week.
The board’s next finance meeting is scheduled for Feb. 23, when members will review the revised budget and continue developing a timeline for budget decisions.