Evergreen board advances $467 million 2025‑26 budget to second reading amid warnings of cuts and borrowing

The Evergreen Public Schools board on Aug. 12 voted to advance the district’s proposed 2025‑26 budget to a second reading after Chief Financial Officer Jennifer Jacobson outlined revenue declines and multi‑year fiscal pressures that will require reductions or other actions to restore reserves.

Jacobson told the board that the proposed general fund budget is about $467 million and that district enrollment has fallen roughly 5,000 students from its peak about a decade ago. She said the district expects to end the next fiscal year with a projected fund balance of $16.8 million, or about 2.5 percent of expenditures — below the board policy minimum of 5 percent.

Jacobson outlined three primary drivers of the shortfall: declining enrollment, inflationary increases in costs such as insurance and utilities, and inadequate increases in state funding per pupil.…