The Wallingford-Swarthmore School District needs a “cultural shift” around spending, or it will face major fiscal problems in the 2027-28 school year, predicts Superintendent Russell Johnston.
Johnston and business administrator DeJuana Mosely gave the finance committee a dire look at the district’s finances on Nov. 18, highlighting increased staffing costs, subpar inventory management, and costly building repairs, writes Denali Sagner for The Philadelphia Inquirer.
The school district is looking at a $2.6 million budget deficit for the 2027-28 school year unless major cuts are made, officials said.
In the past five years, the school district’s budget has increased by 18 percent, or about $16 million, as the district put money into security, nursing staff, and building repairs that had been delayed for four years.
He described a district-wide culture of “just ordering stuff” at a time when the tax base is shrinking.
Mosley recommended the district cut the budget $5.2 million.
“I know it’s alarming and it’s aggressive and it’s a lot,” she said. “We’re trying to change the trajectory of what we’re doing.”
Community forums to discuss the budget will be held in December, along with a presentation and a vote on a budget reallocation strategy.
Read more about the financial problems facing the Wallingford-Swarthmore School District in The Philadelphia Inquirer.
