Saint Joseph school leaders outline $8 million recovery plan, seek third‑party review

District finance officials told the St. Joseph School District Board of Education on the special meeting call that the district finished the 2024–25 fiscal year with a 10.02% reserve ratio and is projecting a roughly $2.8 million deficit for 2025–26 if no corrective steps are taken. Business officer Robert (Mark) Krell and Assistant Superintendent/Chief Financial presenter Roger Hedgecourt outlined a multi‑year recovery scenario that relies on $1 million in cuts to purchase services and supplies in 2026–27, and an assumed $6 million reduction in salary and benefit costs spread across fiscal years 2027 and 2028.

Hedgecourt said the shortfall came from three primary causes the board heard repeatedly during the meeting: delayed federal reimbursements and timing of federal funds, lower‑than‑projected state revenue tied to enrollment and assessed valuation timing, and higher‑than‑expected capital spending during the 2024–25 cycle. “I think with our work, we can get that to a positive number by the end of the year. I really do,” Hedgecourt said.

Why it matters: the district’s…