At its June 9 meeting the Elkhorn Area School District Board of Education reviewed a first reading of the district’s preliminary 2025–26 budget, which officials said currently shows a projected operating deficit of about $4,600,000.

The board heard that the district developed a multi-year strategy to close the gap that includes attrition-based staffing reductions, restructuring several programs and, if necessary, phase-in approaches to spread adjustments over two years. The district stressed the outlook depends heavily on pending state budget decisions expected from the Wisconsin Legislature’s Joint Finance Committee.

District staff told the board that some of the largest variables are special education funding and a possible change to the district revenue limit ceiling. The presentation said the state currently sets aside roughly $14,000,000 for high-cost special education reimbursement and about $574,000,000 for regular special education reimbursement; for Elkhorn that could mean exposure ranging from about $25,000 up to $2,300,000 depending on state action. Board materials and staff comments also noted a governor proposal that would raise the revenue limit by $1,000 in the first year and $400 in year two, a change the district estimated could yield a little over $3,000,000 for Elkhorn if adopted.

Board discussion identified concrete cost-saving options the administration is considering. The packet presented candidate reductions including: five fewer instructional days, eliminating elementary AVID licensing, staff reductions at multiple levels (seven elementary positions, about four at one school identified as "Bridal" in the transcript, two study hall aides and an office staff position, and a little more than three positions at the high school), and other staff restructuring. District staff said some vacancies would be managed through attrition rather than involuntary transfers.

Transportation adjustments were flagged as both a savings opportunity and an item requiring more detail. The district said the bus contractor recently proposed route consolidations and creation of two elementary “walk zones” (Westside and Jackson); the board was told the detailed route proposal would be brought back at the next meeting for formal review. Staff emphasized that being placed in a walk zone would depend on proximity and whether students would have to cross major roads, not an automatic reassignment for every student attending those schools.

Superintendent-level staff repeatedly cautioned the numbers are preliminary and likely to change over the coming weeks as state budget negotiations proceed and as local enrollment and staffing decisions are finalized. "This is a first reading of the 25–26 proposed budget," a board speaker said during the presentation, and staff added that the packet reflected a worst-case scenario to plan conservatively.

The board took no final vote on the budget at the meeting; the item was presented as a first reading and staff were directed to return with more detailed route and staffing proposals once state actions and local calculations are clearer.