District presents preliminary 2025‑26 budget: balanced plan, about $1 million net increase and flat levy projected

District administration presented the first draft of the 2025‑26 budget and staffing plan, describing a balanced preliminary operating budget that includes an estimated roughly $1 million increase in operating costs and a largely flat property‑tax levy.

John, the presenting administrator, told the board the budget was built using conservative assumptions about revenues and a staffing plan tied to course enrollments, and that the district had eliminated the preliminary deficit that earlier drafts had shown by refining staffing and nonpersonnel costs. He said the budget currently does not include an operating‑reserve contribution because constrained resources and staffing needs prevented adding that contribution this year.

Key points presented: - The budget assumes a per‑pupil revenue‑limit increase of $415 (the presentation noted the Supreme Court upheld a $325 increase in statute and the administration modeled $415 to approximate CPI). - The district modeled special education reimbursement at 35 percent, a conservative projection that administration said was based on current state budget discussions. - Personnel costs (salaries and benefits) account for more than 78 percent of operating expenditures; health insurance renewal and wage inflation are major cost drivers. John said a 2.95 percent CPI‑U figure generates roughly $600,000 in compensation cost pressure and health‑insurance renewal could add about $260,000. - Enrollment is projected to decline modestly (about 31 resident FTE on the general fund projection), and open‑enrollment net inflows were projected to increase slightly.

Nut graf: administration portrayed the budget as balanced under current assumptions and emphasized staffing as the primary cost driver, but invited board members to request further line‑item or object‑level breakdowns to show what accounts for a roughly $1 million net increase from the prior year.

Board members asked for more granular, itemized detail showing what specific accounts add to the $1 million net increase. John said he would prepare that breakdown by function and object and circulate it before the May 19 meeting. Several board members praised the administration’s work to produce a balanced budget without an operating referendum.

The presentation also outlined cash‑flow and reserve context: the district retains operating reserves to avoid short‑term borrowing and has aimed in prior years to add $100,000 per year to reserves; that contribution is not built into the preliminary 2025‑26 plan.

Ending: administration asked board members to submit requests for additional details; a formal budget adoption remains scheduled later in the fall after enrollment counts and state aid are certified.