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Board reviews draft budget; district projects roughly $50 million guarantee and expects food-service transfer to shrink
Summary
Officials previewed the draft budget ahead of a July adoption and outlined impacts from property-tax reductions, an estimated $49M–$50M revenue guarantee and possible $100,000–$500,000 improvement from higher meal prices.
Superintendent Ryan Thomas and district finance staff briefed trustees on a draft budget that they said reflects property-tax valuation declines and state entitlement mechanics while preserving funds for staff pay increases.
The district’s “guarantee,” Thomas said, is about $38 million; when combined with special-education reimbursements and other items he listed, the district’s revenue estimate currently sits near $49 million (rounded by Thomas to approximately $50 million). Thomas emphasized these are conservative estimates produced by the district’s finance staff and that figures could shift when final assessed valuations and June revenues are posted.
Why it matters: The district told trustees that a property-tax reduction—affecting local assessed valuation—will reduce local collections and shift more responsibility to the state across the education funding formula. Thomas said his office will rely on conservative estimates but expects to finalize numbers at the July 16 budget adoption.
Food-service impact: The board reviewed proposed meal-price increases that district officials said are modest; Director Sheila (last name not provided) told the board that summer meal-service participation had topped 1,000 meals on a recent day and that, because of changes in meal prices and procurement work, the district now expects transfers from the general fund to food service to fall. Thomas said the difference could range from about $100,000 to $500,000 depending on participation and reimbursements; he described that range as “really good news.”
Budget schedule and next steps: Thomas said the district will publish a preliminary budget and hold a budget hearing (the board noted a hearing on Wednesday the 16th) before adopting a final budget on July 16. He also said the district will post finer calculations—fund balances, amended budgets and net positions—once June revenues are received. Trustees asked about reimbursement timing and the district reiterated that if actual collections exceed entitlement the excess must be reserved for the following year; if collections fall short, the state’s tax-shortfall grant fills the gap.
