Longview School Board holds public hearing on 2025–26 budget; adoption set for Aug. 25

The Longview School Board held a public hearing Aug. 11 on the district's preliminary 2025'6 budget and four-year forecast, receiving a detailed presentation from the district's finance director and discussing staffing, special education funding changes, and levy assumptions. The board did not vote to adopt a final budget at the hearing; the board's next regular meeting Aug. 25 is scheduled for final budget action.

Patty, executive director of business services for Longview School District, told the board the 2025'6 general fund budget is being developed on an assumed base of 2,659 student full-time equivalents and an all-program head count of about 6,259 students. "We are budgeting $123,275,000 for 25/26," Patty said, summarizing the district's revenue and expenditure assumptions and noting that roughly 82% of the budget is personnel-related costs.

The presentation highlighted several items that drive the forecast: state inflationary increases set at 2.5% for salaries and supplies, a notable change in special education funding under the prototypical funding model, tentative collective-bargaining agreements that were incorporated into the preliminary figures, and the district's voter-approved local levy with its 3% annual inflationary increase. Patty said federal grants (Titles II, III and IV) were reported as released for 2025'6 but cautioned that federal funding beyond 2025'6 remains uncertain.

Why it matters: the hearing is the statutorily required public presentation of the budget and the first public forum for questions and comment. The district's ending fund-balance projection and four-year forecast will determine whether future reductions or new revenue proposals are needed to maintain the board's minimum fund balance.

Board members pressed staff for clarifications. Board Member Barb asked whether the district had built utility cost increases into the budget; Patty confirmed utilities (PUD, water, sewer, garbage, stormwater) were included based on trend. On special education, a board member asked whether the state's removal of the 16% cap means Longview's prior excess special-education costs (the district was running roughly 18–20% of basic ed costs in recent years) will now be fully covered. "They won't completely fill that," Patty said; she explained the change will allow the district to claim state enhancements for qualifying special-education students through the prototypical model rather than being capped at 16%, but formula limits and staffing-based calculations remain.

Patty highlighted a structural gap between what the prototypical model funds and local expenditures: "We still have almost a $3,600,000 gap between what the state is funding by the prototypical model and what we're experiencing in anticipated expenditures," she said.

Other funds covered in the hearing included the capital projects fund, debt service, associated student body (ASB) accounts and the transportation vehicle fund. Patty said the capital projects fund relies primarily on the voter-approved capital levy (about $5 million projected revenue for 2025'6) and that the district is planning for a replacement levy on the February 2026 ballot; the capital projects forecast assumes a continuation of replacement-levy funding for planning purposes. She said the transportation vehicle fund anticipates approximately $570,000 in depreciation revenue for fleet replacement next year, with about $1,000,000 in planned vehicle expenditures.

The presentation included the board's adopted budget parameters (goal of 7% to 9% total ending fund balance, with a 7% minimum). Using current assumptions, Patty projected an estimated ending fund balance of approximately $8.0 million (about 7.1% of expenditures) for 2025'6, within the board's stated parameters, but noted the four-year forecast shows the district dipping below the 7% minimum in later years without additional revenues or reductions.

No formal action was taken at the hearing. Diane, board president, closed the hearing after confirming there were no public comments. The board is scheduled to consider adoption of the 2025'6 budget at its Aug. 25 regular meeting.

The superintendent's report and other updates: Superintendent Dr. Binder thanked staff and operations for summer work preparing schools, noted a stadium ribbon-cutting Aug. 19 and the first home football game Sept. 5, and recognized Saint Helens Elementary for an AWSP (Association of Washington School Principals) culture award.

What happens next: the district will continue to refine revenues and expenditures and present a final budget for adoption at the Aug. 25 meeting. Patty said the district monitors enrollment and monthly budget status and will return to the board if midyear adjustments or a budget amendment becomes necessary.