South Lyon - THE CUTS WERE REAL. SO WAS THE UNCERTAINTY.

[Shadowninja]

📜 DEAREST READERS: THE CUTS WERE REAL. SO WAS THE UNCERTAINTY.

After examining South Lyon Community Schools' FY2023–24 budget, one question remained:

Were the staffing reductions unnecessary? The records don't support saying that.

When SLCS prepared its 2023–24 budget, it projected a $1.18 million General Fund loss and was still waiting for final state funding information.

The district made real reductions, including:

🪶 15% reduction in elementary paraprofessional hours

🪶 3 FTE reduction in K–12 Restorative Practices Facilitators

🪶 9.3 classroom teacher FTE

🪶 2 administrative FTE

🪶 Additional clerical, technology, transportation and other staffing reductions

Then the financial picture changed dramatically.

SLCS ultimately finished the year with a $3.65 million increase in fund balance: $4.83 million better than originally projected.

But here's the important part:

The records Lady Budgetdown reviewed do not show that SLCS knew, when those reductions were made, that the additional revenue would materialize.

Much of the improvement developed as state grants, special-education funding and other revenues became clearer during the year.

Some services and hours were subsequently restored. So this isn't a story about proving someone made a bad decision.
It's a reminder that budget forecasts have real-world consequences long before the final audit tells us how the year actually ended.

And that's why following the numbers from forecast → decisions → revisions → actual results matters.
🪶📜

With receipts and respect.

Sources: SLCS FY2023–24 Proposed Budget, Board of Education records and FY2023–24 audited financial statements.