CFO previews FY2026 pressures: $3.1B general fund, modest per-pupil outlook, capital plan highlights Crossroads Academy and Lake Worth pool

The district's finance and facilities leaders presented a high-level preview of FY2026 budget development and capital projects at the Jan. 15 workshop, emphasizing constrained state revenue projections and a list of capital planning priorities.

Heather Frederick, the district's chief financial officer, told the board the general fund operating budget under development is roughly $3.1 billion and that about 76% of projected spending is school-related when district-operated schools, referendum allocations and charter pass-throughs are combined. Frederick said the state's long-range financial outlook is more modest than in recent years and that staff is planning for smaller per-pupil increases (she estimated something closer to a 2% increase rather than the 4% assumed in a three-year average the EDR used…