Burnsville Public School District staff presented the fiscal year 2026 preliminary budget to the Board of Education on March 27, describing revenue projections, expense pressures and proposed adjustments to close an identified gap.

Assistant Superintendent Dr. Chris Belmont and Stacy Solvine, executive director of administrative services, briefed trustees on a scenario staff called the district’s "current reality." Staff said FY26 revenue is projected at about $158 million against roughly $169 million in expenses under that scenario, producing a multi‑million dollar gap that staff proposed to close by $2.1 million in spending reductions and a $9.3 million draw on reserves (a combined $11.4 million adjustment). After those changes staff projected an unassigned fund balance near $30.3 million, approximately 18 percent of expenditures.

Belmont and Solvine said enrollment is continuing a slight decline and the district projects approximately 7,021 students in 2025–26, down roughly 50 students from the prior year. Staff advised trustees that, to maintain class-size parameters and program continuity, estimated rightsizing would require about 8.55 FTE reductions districtwide (staff noted spring processes for probationary-release and teacher-reduction lists may show higher counts for HR reasons).

Planned adjustments discussed by staff included targeted additions funded by restricted funds (e.g., additional English-learner teacher resources, middle-school intervention supports and eight full-time advanced learning specialists at the elementary level), operational changes (increasing secondary walking distance from 1.5 to 2 miles, estimated to affect roughly 100 students currently routed for bus service), a proposed 15 percent increase to athletic fees and consolidation of some district office positions.

Board members asked clarifying questions about the walking-distance change (which staff said would remove the need for one bus and affect about 100 currently routed riders) and timing for public feedback. Staff said community input is being collected through an online portal through April 18 and that a public presentation for families will be held April 16 at 6 p.m. at Diamond Head. Belmont repeated the district’s long-term practice of prioritizing restricted funds before general funds when possible.

The presentation framed FY26 as a continuing funding challenge: staff noted inflation and special-education cross-subsidy pressures, and described next steps for community engagement and an April update to the board before final budget decisions later in the spring.