Tacoma School Board adopts balanced 2025–26 budget amid continuing funding uncertainty

The Tacoma School District Board of Directors adopted a resolution approving the 2025–26 budget after a public hearing during which Chief Financial Officer Roslyn Medina outlined a multi-year plan to align spending with revenues and rebuild the district's fund balance.

Medina told the board, "The budget is a plan. This is the beginning of the conversation," and said the district removed roughly $30,000,000 of expenses during this year's development and eliminated "a number of positions, over a 100 positions" to close prior shortfalls.

Why it matters: The budget resolves immediate operating authority for the coming year while leaving the district exposed to rapid federal- or state-level changes. Medina warned that if targeted federal Title funds are withdrawn the district "may have to bring an additional adoption for you in August" because of the district's limited fund balance.

Inverted-pyramid details: Medina presented the district's total resources and the general fund plan. She said the district's general fund resource component is roughly $724,900,000 and that general fund expenditures are about $579,300,000. For the general fund, she said 74% of revenues come from the state, local levies will provide $82,000,000 (about 14%) and federal resources account for about 7%. Medina flagged an outstanding risk: federal actions could remove targeted components of Title funding affecting Tacoma by an estimated $2 million to $3 million.

Medina summarized the recent fiscal history: the district began with a roughly $10,000,000 shortfall in 2023, made approximately $40,000,000 in cuts last year and eliminated about $30,000,000 in expense items in the current budget process. She said the district aims to grow reserves by 1 percentage point in 2025—6, another percent in 2026—7 and again in 2027—8 and described an $8,500,000 projected growth figure that would yield a 2.35% reserve by the end of the next year.

Board discussion and vote: After the presentation and a public comment period, the board voted to adopt Resolution No. 2161, "providing for the adoption of the 2025—6 budget." The roll call recorded: President Strozier, aye; Vice President McElroy, aye; Director Keating, aye. The motion passed.

Public comment at the hearing included Carrie Madden, who said, "We are all well aware that Washington is not adequately funding public education," and urged the board to explain what alternative savings or structural measures had been considered before making classroom-facing cuts.

Context and next steps: Medina noted that some figures in the presentation (such as 2024—25 results) remain provisional because the fiscal books were not yet closed. She also stressed the budget is dynamic: if federal or state resources change the district will return to the board with formal modification requests. The CFO provided additional fund-level detail to the board, including debt service and capital project estimates and a reminder that outstanding bonds total nearly $899,882,000 under current records.

Ending: Board members said the district will post detailed documents online and provide monthly updates on finances; Medina and the superintendent signaled they would return with adjustments if federal funding eligibility changes.