The Tulsa School District is looking at tough times ahead. It appears the district will need to trim $20-million from its 2020-21 school budget.
Tulsa School Superintendent Dr. Deborah Gist told the board last night the district can no longer dip into its savings account to make up the difference. This comes at a time when the state has been increasing funding to public schools.
The state increases have not been enough to make up what has been cut over the past decade. Dr. Gist told the board, Tulsa is some $15-million short of the 2008 amount of per-pupil funding.
Gist says most of the money from the state has been earmarked for teacher salaries, which Gist says is needed. However, the Superintendent says the state had not addressed the other funding needs of districts.
A community engagement process is being designed to gain input on how best address the shortfall.