Finance committee sees slim enrollment dip, approves 26–27 building budgets and capital projects

WEST CHESTER, Pa. — The West Chester Area School District Property Finance Committee on Oct. 20 reviewed an updated budget forecast and enrollment projections, approved building-level funding allocations for 2026–27 and authorized a package of capital and capital-reserve projects.

Garrett Scully, presenting the finance forecast, said minor year-end adjustments added about $7,000 of federal revenue to the 2024–25 numbers and that the auditor’s review is expected to be complete by Oct. 31. Scully told the committee that a head-count reconciliation in October found about 2.7 more teachers than budgeted, increasing projected expenditures by roughly $227,000 for the current year but that other adjustments (benefit and medical trends, earned-income and investment earnings) produced net midyear savings on the order of several hundred thousand dollars.

Scully said the district’s multi-year deficit for the 2026–27 fiscal plan remains significant: "We still have $13,500,000 that we need in line with the expenditure savings and/or revenue projections," he said, describing that gap as the combination of two years of funding needs.

Enrollment projections showed a small decline. The presenter reported an estimated district enrollment of about 11,009 students for 2025–26 and noted the drop is related in part to a decline in live births in the years that feed kindergarten. Scully said the district uses a two-year kindergarten retention factor and a five-year retention factor for grades 2–12 when projecting future cohorts.

The committee discussed potential impacts from redevelopment at the Exton Square Mall site. Presenters described a developer plan that, as of recent hearings, would include roughly 300 apartments, about 275 townhouses and a 55+ restricted component of several hundred units. Scully said early indications from similar nearby apartment developments suggest low per-building yield in student counts — "We have 12 students that come out of that building," he said of a nearby comparable apartment complex — but that townhouse units often produce larger yields. Committee members said the district can absorb short-term growth with capacity adjustments in the feeder pattern but acknowledged that a large inflow of housing could require redistricting in future years.

On action items, the committee approved the 2026–27 per-pupil allocation for building budgets. The proposed total allocation for building operating and activity funds was $3,064,000, roughly $106,000 more than the prior year and about $38,000 less than a figure included in the earlier forecast model. Scully explained increases were driven by added fixed fees for two newly recognized secondary sports (girls wrestling and flag football) and a first-year allocation for DesignLab expenses at the elementary level; the allocation excludes personnel costs.

The committee also approved capital projects for 2026–27. Projects listed and budgeted in the meeting packet include: - Fund 30 (bonded) projects: Fugate Middle partial gym roof replacement ($242,662); East High partial roof and refurbishment above gym/aux gym ($615,110); exterior wall restoration at East High ($53,352). Total Fund 30 listed: $911,124. - Capital reserve projects (fund 27): a district-wide emergency repairs allocation ($60,000); playground restoration ($100,000); camera installations ($475,000); flooring and other building-portfolio items; East High elevator refurbishment ($325,000); roof work and other field/parking/stadium projects across multiple schools; combined fund-27 total estimated in the packet at $3,265,267.

Lee (facilities staff member) explained that some projects are urgent replacements (old elevator systems, HVAC equipment at field houses, or portions of roofs past their useful life) while others are planned lifecycle work such as repainting and seal-coating. Committee members asked for high-level prioritization; presenters said preventative and predictive maintenance keep many systems running beyond typical life spans but replacement is scheduled when ongoing repairs are no longer cost-effective.

The committee also approved routine consent items related to assigned fund balances and transfers; presenters said there were no new assignments or additional funds placed into fund balance beyond previously disclosed items.

Why it matters: The approved per-pupil allocations and capital projects set building-level operating resources and facilities work for 2026–27 while the budget forecast highlights a multi-year gap the district plans to close through expenditure savings and revenue monitoring. Enrollment trends and potential large-scale housing developments are variables that could change capacity needs and capital planning.