Waukee CFO outlines FY25 budget, projects $185 million maximum spending and steady district tax rate

Sarah Enfield, the district’s chief financial officer, presented the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget to the Waukee Community School District Board of Directors, saying the district’s maximum general-fund spending authority is expected to be about $185 million and that the combined district cost for next year is about $148 million.

Enfield told the board the fiscal 2025 assumptions include a 2.5% supplemental state aid (SSA) increase, a certified enrollment of 13,674 students from the October 2023 count, and a district cost-per-pupil figure of $7,826 — a $191 increase year over year. She said the district will be educating roughly 520 students without corresponding funding in FY25, equivalent to about $4 million of unfunded instruction.

The presentation placed most FY25 spending in instruction (about 64% of general-fund expenditures) with building operations, debt service and other funds following. Enfield said general-fund revenue will come primarily from state aid and property taxes, with miscellaneous income of roughly $5 million (down from the current year largely because of expected lower interest income).

Enfield outlined several budget pressures: insurance-cost increases (she cited expected 15–20% rises in insurance and higher property replacement values), special-education deficits, wage competition in the local labor market, technology refreshes tied to the district’s 1-to-1 device program, and ongoing student growth that requires staffing for new buildings. She said the management fund will need a higher levy next year to rebuild fund balances used for insurance and other management items.

Board members asked about how property-tax rollback and equalization changes affected the district. Enfield said taxable valuations rose but the equalization (rollback) process limited taxable value growth for the district; she and other board members noted the district’s steady total levy rate near $17.80 per $1,000 for several years, while individual fund levies fluctuate. The board also discussed House File 718 and the Department of Management forms required for taxpayer notices.

Enfield reviewed timeline and next steps: a second public hearing and the budget adoption are scheduled for the board’s April 22 meeting, and all budget information must be filed with the county auditor by April 30 under the new deadline. She said additional legislative changes before adjournment could require a May budget amendment.

The presentation included additional details Enfield highlighted for the board: an ESA (education savings account) or voucher count of 270 for the current year, a net enrollment increase of 52 students since count day, projected solvency (cash reserves) of about $18 million (8.3%), and the district’s plan to increase solvency gradually in the coming years. Enfield said the district expects to issue general obligation bonds in July for the first tranche of the recently passed referendum and is monitoring interest rates for that issuance.

Board members praised the finance team’s work and asked clarifying questions about the mechanics of SSA, federal funding limitations for Waukee, and what reductions or changes might look like if revenue growth remains limited. Enfield said the district is not proposing program cuts for FY25 and is planning some additional teaching positions, but she warned that long-term low SSA increases could force future choices about class size, programming and staff workload.

Enfield concluded by reminding the board that while the district is growing in taxable value and enrollment (which blunts some immediate impacts), management choices — including levy allocations among funds — may need to shift if the legislature acts before adjournment. The board set the advertised public hearing for April 22 and will consider adoption afterward.