Albany County School District #1 board approves 2025–26 preliminary budget with raises, free-lunch planning

The Albany County School District #1 board on May 14 approved a preliminary 2025–26 budget that includes $2,500 pay increases for certified employees, $2-an-hour raises for classified staff and funds to cover a projected 5% rise in health-insurance costs. The board voted to accept the preliminary budget after a discussion of options for expanding student and activity meal allowances.

The district’s finance presenter, Miss Green, told trustees, “I just wanna start out by clearly stating that the purpose of this preliminary budget is just to make you all aware of where we might end up. This is not the adopted budget.” She said the draft preserves the district’s commitments while adding “expanded learning” spending, travel for out-of-state professional development, summer school and a full $175,000 allocation for the school resource officer contract.

Why it matters: The preliminary budget sets the spending framework the board will refine before the July public hearing and formal adoption. It also signals the district’s ability to restore pay and expand services after recent budget constraints.

Most important details: The draft includes raises for all professional and certified staff of $2,500 and a $2-per-hour raise for classified staff. Health insurance was budgeted for a 5% increase (Miss Green said that is roughly $415,000). The proposal also sets aside money for technology and vehicle replacement and leaves roughly $1 million unallocated for later decisions.

Board members spent significant time on student meals and activity travel. Miss Green said the budget contemplates offering free school lunches districtwide (she described that as a matter for the board to decide) and ran three cost estimates for activity meal stipends for students traveling with teams or extracurricular groups: increasing the current $12-per-day stipend to $20 would cost about $120,000; $27 per day would add about $215,000; and $35 per day would add about $325,000. "Increasing that to $20 a day is gonna cost about an extra hundred and 20,000," Miss Green said.

Trustees debated sustainability and priorities. Trustee Sorensen asked whether the district could set aside funds in a trust so future increases or multi-year commitments would not cause repeated revenue shocks; Miss Green said staff will investigate options for reserves and trusts tied to employee benefits. Trustee Marshall urged clarity about whether Human Resources or another office would manage any new certification, payroll or program-tracking responsibilities tied to expanded services. Trustee Gosar asked for a clearer breakout of utilities and capital reserves; Miss Green identified districtwide capital outlay lines for student and staff technology ($100,000 each) and transportation ($150,000 for support vehicles, $200,000 for buses).

Board action and next steps: Trustees moved and approved the preliminary budget on a voice vote. The item is not final: Miss Green and staff will refine figures, add requested detail and return a proposed adopted budget for the July adoption hearing.

Context and constraints: Miss Green repeatedly cautioned that the preliminary budget is a working document, not an adopted levy or appropriation. She said state funding recalibration remains uncertain and that the district is not relying on a large new state appropriation to sustain the plan.

What to watch next: The board will receive updated budget worksheets and proposed salary-schedule details, and the district will present a finalized budget for adoption at the July hearing.