Hamilton County Schools presents preliminary FY26 budget showing $16–18 million shortfall

Hamilton County Schools Superintendent Ed Robertson and district finance staff on Tuesday presented a preliminary FY26 budget that administrators say begins with an estimated $16 million to $18.5 million shortfall driven mainly by revenues that did not materialize in FY25 and a sharp rise in health-care costs.

"Just to be 100% clear, this is not the final version," Superintendent Ed Robertson said as he opened the finance committee briefing. He told board members the administration is preparing multiple versions and seeking direction from the board on which expense and revenue options to pursue.

The nut graf: The shortfall forces the district to weigh central-office reductions, program and operational savings and requests to Hamilton County government while protecting school staffing, student-facing resources and employee compensation as priorities.

Administrators said total projected operating revenues across funds are "just over $576,000,000." Robertson said two trends created the deficit: FY25 revenue growth budgeted but not realized—about $4.5 million to $6.5 million—and a…