Reed school district approves $29-million budget for fiscal 2025

The Reed Union School District will dip slightly into the red in fiscal 2025 as it doles out 8% raises to its teachers and staff and spends an extra $650,000 to once again ensure the arts, library and technology programs typically bankrolled by the Foundation for Reed Schools remain fully funded in the coming school year.

The district’s board of trustees voted unanimously at its June 11 meeting to approve the $29.08-million budget against $28.89 million in revenue for the 2024-2025 fiscal year, which begins July 1. That leaves a projected deficit of $192,082.

It’s the fourth time in as many years the district finds itself pulling money from its general fund to avoid having to make cuts to the programs paid for by the foundation, which has historically pledged a $2-million grant toward the salaries of about 20 teachers across arts, Spanish, physical education and library programs at Reed and Bel Aire elementary and Del Mar middle schools. However, beginning in fiscal 2021, the foundation began reducing its annual grant to $1.5 million, citing the impacts of the pandemic and declining enrollment on its ability to fundraise.

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