Fulton board adopts tentative $94.2 million 2025-26 budget, proposes 1.9% tax levy increase

The Fulton City School District Board of Education on Tuesday approved a tentative $94,197,840 budget for the 2025–26 school year and proposed a 1.9% increase to the district tax levy.

The vote followed a detailed presentation from district finance staff and months of public budget forums. Kate Hooper, the district business official, told the board the tentative budget represents a 6.45% increase in total spending from the current year and includes using $3,850,000 from district reserves to help close the gap between revenue and expenditures.

“We're proposing a 1.9% increase to the tax levy,” Kate Hooper said during the presentation, adding that state aid is expected to remain the district’s largest revenue source at roughly 68.9% and that the district has budgeted for significant increases in health-care and energy costs.

Why it matters: Hooper and board members said steep increases in employee health insurance and higher utility and contract costs drove much of the pressure on next year’s budget. The district also said it reduced its initial rollover budget — about $99 million — by roughly $5.1 million through cuts to supplies, services and by planning position reductions primarily through retirements and resignations.

Key specifics included in the presentation: - Tentative budget total: $94,197,840 (6.45% increase over current year). - Proposed tax levy increase: 1.9% (estimated…