The new Denver schools chief imposed spending and hiring freezes for central administration Wednesday, saying he wants to show “extreme care” with money that doesn’t go to classrooms.
Denver Public Schools Superintendent Michael Bennet said he hasn’t decided whether the current administration is too fat but noted, “I do want to make sure we’re spending the dollars we have as intentionally and as deliberately as we can.”
Under the new policy, all central office department budgets are frozen above $3,000 for travel and purchasing – anything over that requires a special exemption.
The hiring freeze affects all central administration positions, but school-based budgets and hiring will not be affected.
Wednesday’s announcement was one of the first big moves by Bennet, who has been at the DPS helm for a month.
The decision reflects a priority shift among DPS leadership and school-board members, who recently have been adamant about boosting academic achievement.
It is Bennet’s chief priority after several years of Colorado Student Assessment Program test scores reflecting sluggish growth in most Denver-area students.
Bennet hired a chief of staff before the freeze but has yet to find a chief academic officer. As soon as he finds the best person, that hire would be an exemption to the freeze, he said Wednesday.
The idea for the spending restrictions came in part from flat enrollment trends citywide. Every child who attends a Denver public school brings money to the district.
“I think we need to be emphatic about growing the revenue,” he said.
Though Bennet hasn’t decided how long the restrictions will last, he hopes to align the $583 million general fund budget with a strategic plan by the end of the semester.
That plan will be drawn up by school-board members and Bennet.
Staff writer Allison Sherry can be reached at 303-820-1377 or asherry@denverpost.com.
