Caroline schools report ADM shortfall of 52.58 students, $278,157 less state funding for FY25; board to change monthly reporting

Caroline County Public Schools informed the school board Thursday that a difference between the division’s internal March principal ADM report and the state’s March 31 funding snapshot will reduce FY25 state ADM funding by $278,157.

“State 331 ADM report was 4,277.77. This is a difference of 52.584 students” compared with the division’s March principal report, the division’s finance presenter said, explaining part of the discrepancy relates to students served through the CISNA and CSA processes.

Staff said 28.18 students were in CISNA (Students with Intensive Support Needs) and 34.9 students were served through the Children’s Services Act (CSA). CISNA is an application to the Virginia Department of Education used to request reimbursement for high-cost services for students with intensive needs; CSA is a Virginia law that pools state and local funds to purchase services for at-risk youth and families.

The finance presenter told the board the division has for several years adjusted reported March ADM funding for students in regional programs; what is new this year is discovery that CSA students had been included in the monthly principal report the board had received. To remedy projections, staff said they will begin reporting CSA and CISNA students separately in future monthly ADM reports and will adjust FY26 budget projections.

Board members asked how the county budget timeline and pending facility/fiscal conversations could affect the calculated local in-kind share for Head Start and other grants; finance staff said existing contracts include non-appropriation clauses and that current budgeting allows the division to meet in-kind commitments, but final FY26 calculations await the county’s adopted budget.

No formal board vote was required; staff asked the board to accept the report and said they will continue to analyze revenue sources to identify savings or offsets.