District leadership updated the committee on the near-term fiscal outlook and identified several variables that will determine whether the district needs to request more county support.

School staff said the governor recently signed a short (mini) state budget that includes approximately a 1% step increase for staff; that outcome is smaller than the district’s conservative planning assumption of 3% for employee compensation. Federal Title funding for next year (Title I, II, III, IV) is expected to be released to the state and then to districts, but it had not yet been delivered to the district at the time of the meeting.

The group reviewed longer-term structural funding context cited in staff comments: the national average per‑pupil funding is $16,645 and the state‑level combined funding used in discussion was $11,777 per pupil, leaving an approximate difference of $4,868 per pupil. Using a round district enrollment referenced in the meeting, staff calculated a notional district shortfall in the hundreds of millions if state funding matched the national average; staff emphasized the point to contextualize why local bonds and county cooperation matter for capital and operating needs.

Staff also explained that enrollment counts affect funding timing: state allotments rely on fall enrollment measures (month 1 and 2/PMR) and the district will not know precise funding levels until those counts are locked. Separately, county staff noted that local sales tax has been flat since earlier pandemic rebounds, which limits county revenue growth relative to inflation and increases budgeting pressure.

Next steps: staff will monitor the arrival of federal funds, finalize compensation modeling once state guidance is final, and report back after fall enrollment counts are confirmed.