District leaders across the country are navigating a moment of profound uncertainty. Student need is high, growing, and varied, and districts are being asked to deliver more with fewer resources. At the same time, everyone is operating amidst a fraught economic landscape: Federal funding is in flux, state and local
budgets are strained, enrollment is declining, and costs continue to rise.

But across-the-board cuts risk disproportionately affecting the students who need them most—while still failing to address long-term costs.

The reductions provided here offer a practical starting point to make the most of a challenging situation and build a path toward a more sustainable future. Download our guide to see how district leaders can cut costs without cutting what matters.

What’s Inside the Guide

Our downloadable guide offers strategic reduction opportunities across six key areas:

1. Central Office: Targeted and Coherent, Not Across-the-Board
2. Instruction: Streamline Outliers to Protect the Core
3. Noninstructional School-Based Spending: Clarify and Broaden Roles and Responsibilities to Reduce Overlap—Especially in Subscale Schools
4. Overall School Funding and Staffing: Adjust to Match Enrollment and Need
5. Operations and Maintenance: Increase Efficiency
6. Revenue: Maximize Available Funding for Future Years

Putting Students First: Strategic Reallocation and Reductions

If you’re looking to make reductions and want to protect the most important strategy and equity investments in your district or state, we can help. For over 20 years, ERS has worked with districts and states to assess current resource use and help reorganize their people, time, and money to better serve students and ensure financial sustainability. Fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch.