How has the district cut costs to head off this deficit?

We have made changes to our budget in order to maximize savings and lower our costs. For example, we have made changes for the last two years to our health insurance benefits resulting in significant savings; the solar panels recently installed at Monona Grove High School are just the latest in our sustainability efforts in order to control utility costs. The solar panels will begin generating ongoing savings on our utility costs within the first year of their operation. 

We are also using part of our fund balance (similar to a savings account) to offset the deficit. Thanks in part to our reputation for outstanding teachers and staff, we continue to see enrollment growth (37 new resident students since the beginning of this school year alone). Full increases in state funding from enrollment growth take three years due to the funding formula, but we are in a good position to continue our steady and stable growth.