Grand Rapids — The GRPS Board of Education has signed off on a general operating budget that will cut district spending to the tune of around $16 million for the 2025-26 school year.
Though the proposal drew criticism from some teachers, community members and some trustees, it ultimately received the green light in a 5-4 vote during Monday’s special meeting of the board.
The approved operating budget totals $259.8 million, a $16.7 million decrease from the $276.5 million budget in 2024-25. The district will cut costs by eliminating two cabinet positions upon upcoming retirements; freezing salaries for district leadership; consolidating some administrative duties; and pausing all out-of-state conference travel not fully covered by external funding.
Chief Financial Officer Rhonda Kribs also said “a number of central office and district-wide positions have been eliminated,” including the two cabinet posts, which are the executive director of athletics and dual enrollment, and the executive director of professional learning and development.
Per a statement from the district released the night before the board meeting, the budget proposal was designed to “prioritize classroom learning and staff compensation.” The statement also cited rising costs and the expiration of federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief funds as reasons for the reduced budget.
The board narrowly OK’d the budget, with Secretary José Rodriguez and trustees Amber Kilpatrick, Sara Melton and Eleanor Moreno voting against it. Board President Kymberlie Davis, Vice President Aarie Wade, Treasurer Kimberly Williams, and trustees Arick Davis and Richard Williamson each voted in favor.
‘There will never be a budget passed that is perfect, because you’re dealing with imperfect situations.’
— Superintendent Leadriane Roby
Community Weighs In
The approval came after a lengthy discussion and more than an hour of public comment, during which parents, teachers and other community members urged the board to postpone the vote. Many who came to the microphone advocated for a budget plan that more directly addressed concerns about teacher pay, as collective-bargaining agreements with the Grand Rapids Education Association are still in progress.
Joline Andrews, a teacher at Southwest Elementary, said she was “relieved” to hear that two executive positions would be eliminated, but she stressed that “it’s not enough.”
“We can’t wait for people to resign to determine whether or not their position positively impacts our students,” Andrews said. “While the salary freeze is also appreciated, it’s not reassuring that it can be ended at any point.”
GRPS parent Ben Irwin applauded the board for its efforts, but urged trustees not to rubber-stamp the proposal, claiming that it needed more work.
“We deserve a budget that pays our teachers better … and reduces administrative bloat,” he said.
Superintendent Leadriane Roby thanked the community for its “voice and perspective,” but recommended that the budget be approved. She said delaying the vote would significantly disrupt district operations, halting teachers’ paychecks entirely and bringing summer school and summer meal programs to a grinding halt.
“If you choose not to approve the budget tonight, inaction would cause the district to shutter next week,” Roby said. “There will never be a budget passed that is perfect, because you’re dealing with imperfect situations.”
That reasoning wasn’t enough for Rodriguez, who voted against the proposal.
“I don’t want to give this my vote based on fear or out of folks making me feel bad that there might be some harm done to our scholars,” the board secretary said. “I absolutely understand the ramifications of voting no on this, but I don’t want to feel that I’m guilt-tripped into giving a ‘yes.’
“It is harmful to our students,” Rodriguez said of potentially interrupting district operations, “but so is not paying our teachers enough, so is having long-term subs in our classrooms, so is having too many students in a special-education classroom — all of those things are harmful to students.”
Trustee Kilpatrick, who also voted against the budget, said she advocates “working from the educators up,” and “providing our educators with what they need for salary … and then building a budget around that.”
Kilpatrick said she didn’t believe the proposed budget was assembled in this way.
Trustees who supported the proposal agreed that it might not be ideal, but stressed that the district had to have its budget approved before the end of the month.
“Even though this is imperfect, … I think tonight we have to take what we have and the work that the district and us together have done to this point,” said Williamson. “We’re going to continue to work on this budget and develop it. … We need to vote on this, then we’ll continue to vote on amendments.”
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