The work of the USD 253 Cost Containment Committee will go public for the first time this week.
Committee members will present the initial findings and recommendations during a special Board of Education work session Wednesday. The committee met from October into early last month, working to develop plans to find around $4 million in savings and efficiencies as enrollment has dipped for around 20 years, highlighted by the closure of the Tyson plant closure as announced in December 2024. Between 2024 and 2025, the district lost almost 240 students with enrollment dipping to just over 3,800 students enrolled.
Superintendent David McGehee has said the main focal points are right-sizing staff numbers with the hope of lower numbers coming through attrition or, possibly, early retirement packages. Consolidations of school buildings have not been ruled out when the committee ended its formal discussions a month ago.
The special board meeting is at 5:30 pm Wednesday at Mary Herbert Education Center. Because this is a work session, the district will not live-stream the meeting on its website, usd253.org. The board may well approve the plan, either in its current form or after revisions, at its regular meeting March 11.
