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Board approves budget committee recommendations; $3 million in 2025-26 reductions and procedural freezes
Summary
Trustees approved recommendations from the district—udget advisory committee that include a mix of one-time and ongoing reductions for 2025-26 and 2026-27, limits on nonessential travel and conference spending, a 10% reduction to discretionary site/department allocations and other adjustments intended to preserve a 3% reserve.
Audrey, district staff and chair of the budget advisory committee, told the board the committee voted on a package of budget adjustments and recommended a combination of one-time and ongoing savings to meet reserve requirements and create flexibility for future years.
"We reestablished the budget committee, May. We were able we already had an ongoing list that we had developed at the first, sequence of budget reductions that we recommended," Audrey said, describing the process.
The committee recommended a set of reductions and procedural changes the board approved. Key items the committee and staff described include:
- A package of combined ongoing and one-time savings estimated at about $3,000,000 for 2025-26 and $2,900,000 for 2026-27 (committee recommendation). - A districtwide 10% reduction in discretionary site and department allocations (applies to all site and central budgets to spread the burden equitably). - A freeze on nonrequired conference and travel spending for schools and departments unless the travel is required by program certification or approved by cabinet (the committee described this as a procedural control rather than an immediate dollar line item). - Reduction of the deferred-maintenance contribution for one year from $500,000 to $250,000 (a one-year change to preserve reserves). - Use of some RDA funds and other one-time sources to support deferred maintenance in 2026-27. - Renegotiation of the SRO contract that reduced ongoing costs (staff said the new contract for three SROs is about $300,000 and produces roughly $91,000 in ongoing savings). - Continued efforts to reduce transfers to the cafeteria fund; staff reported improved food-service revenue and reduced projected transfers by roughly $100,000 compared with earlier projections.
Carrie Carlson, district finance staff, closed the budget materials by reminding trustees of the calendar and next steps: "we will adopt our budget June 17," she said. Carrie presented preliminary 2025-26 figures that showed an unrestricted general-fund ending balance projected around $6.2 million and total fund balance near $16.1 million after the committee recommendations and budget updates.
Board members said the reductions were difficult but necessary to maintain a 3% reserve and to prepare for possible state funding volatility in future years. The budget advisory committee will continue to meet to monitor the district—inancial position and to advise on further adjustments; staff said the committee will reconvene in September after the unaudited actuals are final.
The board voted to adopt the committee recommendations and the procedural changes that will be applied to the district's 2025-26 and 2026-27 budgets.
