The St. Paul school board approved a budget Tuesday night that eliminates more than 100 jobs next year as enrollment shrinks and state funding comes up short.

Board member Steve Marchese said that, for a third consecutive year, the budget process needs to change so spending reflects strategic priorities.

“This is the last budget I will vote for if this is the process,” he said. “It is layering on an unsound foundation.”

“The finance team is ready and it was ready this year,” chief financial officer Marie Schrul responded.

Superintendent Joe Gothard’s strategic plan will be put into action next school year. He has said a priority will be evaluating and dropping programs and partnerships that aren’t getting results.

The board expects to have more local dollars to work with next budget cycle, too.

A local property tax increase approved in 2012 will contribute $44 million to next year’s budget. The board is expected to ask voters in November for significantly more money to make up for years of modest increases in state aid.

Next year’s $535 million general fund budget is 2.5 percent larger than this year’s, but the district says it was forced to make $17.2 million in cuts because of rising costs it can’t control.

The district canceled inflationary increases for most programs and made additional targeted cuts to staff development, counseling, preschool administration and more.

At the same time, the district will increase spending in some areas.

Following through on a promise to the teachers union, the district will spend millions on more teachers for special education and English language learners.

The district also has added to its budget $800,000 for more substitute teachers, $95,000 for Indian Education and $648,000 for a teacher residency program they’d hoped the state would pay for.

There’s also $200,000 for the chief of staff’s office, which had been vacant; Cedrick Baker’s salary accounts for $140,000 of that. Related Articles St. Paul schools superintendent gets high marks, but board wants progress on equity, enrollment, student achievement

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Gothard, who says the district needs to tell the public about good things happening in the district, also restored an assistant director position in the $1.5 million communications office.

Overall, schools have eliminated the equivalent of 67 full-time jobs, including two assistant principals. School and district support staff are down by a combined 39 people and the administration by one.

Many of the displaced workers will be hired in other district schools.

“This is gut-wrenching to have to make all these cuts,” board member Mary Vanderwert said.

At Horace Mann Elementary, the PTA is donating $22,000 next year so their school loses only two teaching assistants instead of three.

“We can’t sustain this funding and I’m worried for our school. I hope you have a plan long term,” PTA member Alex Kotze told the board.

The budget assumes a 1 percent decrease in K-12 enrollment next year.

The district’s total 2018-19 budget, including debt payments, construction, grant-funded activities, food service and community education, contains $750 million in spending.