Keystone Central previews 2025–26 budget options, highlights cyber-charter tuition hit and possible millage increases

Keystone Central School District business manager Joni (last name not specified), speaking at the board’s Feb. 6 work session, presented a preliminary 2025–26 budget and scenarios that would close part of a projected deficit through millage increases or by committing reserves.

The district started fiscal 2024–25 with a fund balance shown as about $20.98 million on July 1, Joni said, and officials are proposing a resolution on the board agenda to commit a $1.3 million surplus to Fund 32 for capital projects. She also described a separate proposed $500,000 commitment toward an enterprise resource planning accounting system (ERP) the district hopes to implement July 1.

Why it matters: The presentation showed how rising benefits costs, higher bond principal and interest, and increased cyber-charter tuition are driving budget pressure. The board must decide whether to draw on reserves, raise millage, or both; those choices affect taxpayers and the district’s ability to fund capital projects and operations.

Budget math and options Joni laid out the district’s current projection and several illustrative millage scenarios. With no tax increase…