A room full of parents filled the small library of Westbrook elementary. Everyone surrounded the small tables with an issue bigger than the seats surrounding the table.

“This district is a special place.” said Andy Rikli, Assistant Superintendent of Administrative Operations. Rikli made a common refrain of “it’s what makes Westside, Westside.” Laptops for every student 8th grade and up, Outdoor Ed, the list and the reasons given by Rikli were endless. The library was just one small reminder of what’s at stake for the upcoming years.

The parents and community members in the room had gathered to hear Rikli discuss what a 5 million dollar budget shortfall would mean to Westbrook and the eleven other schools in the district.

“Out situation is not unique” was another common refrain from Rikli. “The cost of salaries and benefits continue to go up, all while the revenue stays mostly flat.” Schools receive income from two main sources; state aid and property taxes. Westside Community Schools operates on a yearly budget of about 65 million dollars. Following the housing crash in 2008, the US government sent out $831 billion dollars through the stimulus titled “American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.” This money was used specifically for schools like Westside.

The two years following the stimulus, Westside received a large amount of money, during which they ran a surplus. “The rule of thumb is to have enough in savings to operate for two months without any income.” Rikli says they’ve stayed really close to that mark.

This school year was the first year since the 2008 housing crash where Westside, and many other school districts, went without the stimulus funds. The other source of income, property taxes, have gone up by just .8%. “This is great news for homeowners, not great for the school.” Rikli said during the meeting. Nebraska State Governor Dave Heineman has proposed a 5% increase in state aid for schools. “Any increase is a good increase.” Rikli said. This increase in state aid would come over the next two years, providing additional assistance for special education as well.

To meet the needs of students, the district formed a budgetary committee made up of building and central administrators. “Any cuts we make, and solutions we have, must focus on Westside’s needs to be an innovative district.” Rikli said. The group created a list of around eleven objectives to guide the process of eliminating the shortfall. “So far we haven’t had to make any cuts.”

Superintendent, Blane McCann, came from Shorewood Wisconsin Public school this year bringing along experience in dealing with eight years of budget shortfalls. “Having a leader, that’s been through challenging budgetary times, is extremely beneficial.”

Rikli and other administrators have urged schools in the district to pay close attention to the bottom line. However, the cuts being made are staying as far away from the classroom as possible. “This school district is a special place, it’s an innovative place.” Rikli said. “The sky’s not falling, yes we have challenges, but we’re going to continue to be that innovative school district.”