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Board discussion: superintendent proposes 1.67% tax levy; trustees debate deeper line-by-line review
Summary
Superintendent Mary Fox Alder presented the proposed 2025–26 budget and told the board the district will seek a 1.67% tax levy. Trustees debated whether to undertake a deeper line-by-line review of nonstatutory items, memberships and contracts to free funds for priorities.
Superintendent Mary Fox Alder and Assistant Superintendent Alita told trustees the recommended 2025–26 budget remains the same as previously presented and the board is expected to adopt the budget at the next meeting. Alita said the state budget had not yet finalized components that might affect the district and that the district’s proposed tax levy is 1.67 percent.
Board members commended administration’s work but disagreed about the level of board scrutiny appropriate for the spending plan. Several trustees pressed for a deeper, line-by-line review of discretionary items such as a national school board association membership and the annual demographer’s report; one trustee estimated a few modest cuts could free several thousand dollars. The superintendent and other trustees described trade-offs, noting the demographer’s report had been required for a recent capital project submission and that organizational memberships can yield advocacy or grant-access benefits.
Nut graf: The board agreed on a proposed 1.67% levy but differed on governance approach: some trustees want a detailed budget audit to identify modest savings for reallocation or tax relief, while others said administration already performs line-item review and that the board’s role is to set overall priorities and request changes if necessary.
Administrators said some budget moves already reflect prior board goals: position-control work in the business office and use of reserves in prior years helped stabilize this year’s recommended levy. Trustees discussed whether to use a retreat to set clearer budget-review processes (for example, “red light/yellow light/green light” categorizations) and whether the board should push administration to return with proposed adjustments if trustees request a lower levy.
Ending: The board signaled it would adopt the proposed levy at the next meeting unless trustees requested formal reductions; members suggested a retreat or budget-session process changes to clarify future line-item review and priorities.
