School officials say state aid increase likely to hold; curriculum and mandate costs driving ongoing operating increases

School administrators told the budget board during a budget review that the district’s roughly $2.3–$2.5 million increase in state aid is likely to remain intact as the bill moves through the legislature, and that the district’s FY26 operating request assumes that aid will remain available.

Administrators said the state calculation for aid is based on October and March enrollment numbers (residential average daily membership) and that the district’s increase is a straight formula amount rather than part of the special transition or “boost” adjustments some districts received. That, they said, makes the increase less vulnerable to later formula changes. At the same time they cautioned that some districts in prior years have lost transition aids, and urged caution about counting…