Bemidji Area Schools approves $2.7M in cuts, shortened school year

BEMIDJI — Bemidji Area Schools’ Board of Education approved a new budget reduction target Monday, April 20, following the Board’s decision to keep J.W. Smith Elementary School open at least one more year.

The district targeted $2.7 million in staffing reductions in a series of motions to lessen its projected budget deficit, anticipated to be more than $3 million in the 2027 fiscal year.

Superintendent Jeremy Olson said during the Board meeting that nearly $1.7 million in cuts were for licensed positions, referred to as full time equivalents, or FTEs.

"That's seven elementary education positions — 3 FTEs of special education, and 1.8 FTEs of K-8 specialists," Olson said. "We wanted to make sure that we targeted this [cut] to positions that were mostly vacant positions where people had either resigned or retired, because we're trying to lessen our impact on our staff.”

The Board also approved another $1.6 million in cuts for non-licensed staff, but many of those staffers cut may be offered positions again after July 1, in the next fiscal year.

After months of negotiations, the Board approved a tentative agreement with the Bemidji Education Association for its three-year teaching contract.

As part of the contract negotiations, Bemidji Area Schools’ academic year has been shortened by three days starting this year and in the 2026-27 school year. The last day of school is moving from June 3 to May 29.