Bellevue Public Schools presents proposed 2025‑26 budget, schedules county hearing and later board vote

The Bellevue Public Schools administration presented a proposed budget for 2025‑26 and announced the district will appear at the county tax hearing on the 18th before asking the board to vote on a final levy and budget.

The district’s budget presenter, Susan Brooks, told the board the proposed general fund budget was $137,265,112 and the proposed total across all funds was $164,468,002. She said the proposed local tax request was slightly lower than earlier estimates because certified property valuations came in a little under expectations. “There’s been no other changes to this budget,” Brooks said.

Why it matters: The budget establishes spending and the property‑tax request that helps pay for staffing and operations for the roughly 9,500 students the district serves. Brooks said about 86% of the district’s expenditures are for salaries and benefits and that staffing drives most of the spending.

District staff described revenue sources and timing. Brooks said the district expects roughly 40% of income from tax receipts and roughly 48% from state aid and special‑education programs, and that some tax receipts arrive in April and August. She told the board the proposed property tax request across both funds is $60,268,500 and described that figure as “an overall 3% increase from prior tax.”

Brooks also reviewed certified valuation information presented to the board, noting the district’s taxable value was $5,304,779,756 and that the bond valuation rose about 6% from the prior year. She said the certified valuation was about $6 million less than earlier estimates used when the budget was drafted.

Board procedure and next steps: Brooks said the district is “within our certified property tax request authority” but that the requested tax dollars exceed the allowable growth percentage awarded; therefore, staff must present at the county hearing and then return to the board for a formal vote on the levy. Brooks said, “After the county hearing, we're requesting another board meeting to hopefully vote and pass the board and the levy for the year, and then I will file the budget state after that.”

Public comment and formal votes: No public commenters signed up for this hearing. The board closed the hearing after staff presentation. The board did not take a final vote on the budget or levy at this meeting.

Unresolved details and clarifications: Several levy figures described during the presentation were spoken quickly and were recorded with varied formatting in the transcript; the administration stated the proposed bond levy would remain flat and that staff were recommending the currently proposed levy structure to produce a slight overall decrease in the total levy for district taxpayers. Staff also explained that valuation challenges can take more than a year to resolve and, if a change were required, the district could be asked to repay tax money in a later year. The district will present the same numbers at the county hearing on the 18th and expects to return to the board for a final vote before filing the budget with the state.

Ending: The board was informed of required hearings and that a future special meeting will be scheduled to finalize and vote on the levy and budget after the county hearing.