The financial challenges facing school districts today are like nothing we’ve seen before. Rising costs, declining enrollment and chronic labor shortages have fundamentally changed the economics of school. Amid new threats to education funding, many districts face a sober reality: the economics of public school no longer work.

Budget cuts alone won’t right the ship. While often necessary, traditional cost cutting measures rarely address the structural issues that led us to this moment of financial instability. The result? A vicious cycle of budget reductions that destabilizes planning and leaves schools under-resourced.

Financial sustainability requires deep system change, with students at the center. From re-thinking special education service models to improving the efficiency of central services, the solutions to financial challenges are rarely found in the budget. They are the result of complex design and implementation work, focused on what’s best for students.