Farmington Board tentatively approves $83.24 million superintendent budget, flags special-education costs

The Farmington Board of Education gave tentative approval Feb. 1 to the superintendent's recommended operating budget for 2025–26, approving a grand total of $83,240,983, a 4.65% increase over the 2024–25 school district budget. The board approved the budget page by page during a workshop and will consider final adoption Monday night.

Superintendent Kathy presented the district's recommended operating budget and described the process used to develop it, saying the recommendation was aligned with the district's core improvement documents and 0‑based budgeting practices. Kathy told the board "The total recommended budget amount is $83,995,261 for a dollar increase of $4,451,022 or a percent increase over 2425 of 5.6%" before later technical adjustments were reflected in the final tentative total the board approved.

Board discussion and line‑by‑line review focused on salary and personnel costs, insurance and special education. Dan Zatoon, assistant superintendent for finance and operations, described the 100 series (salaries) as the largest portion of the operating budget, accounting for about 65% of recommended spending, and explained the district's approach to 0‑based budgeting and teacher…