Farmington projects $4.4 million 2025‑26 shortfall; finance committee recommends cuts to tuition programs, schedule changes and revenue steps

Superintendent Jason Berg told the Farmington Board of Education that the district's current budget model projects an approximate $4.4 million deficit for the 2025‑26 fiscal year if no structural changes are made. The finance committee and district leaders proposed a mix of program reductions and revenue changes to reduce the shortfall.

Key figures and assumptions shared by district staff during the meeting included an enrollment projection of 6,187 pupils used in the model, a special education revenue projection of about $17 million, and a conservative $1,000,000 assumption for interest earnings. Contract roll‑up costs were estimated near 2% (about $1.4 million) while the model illustrated that not renewing the current operating levy would add materially to the deficit in later years.

The finance committee recommended the following preliminary steps for board consideration and faster action where scheduling makes it necessary:

- MnCAPS: The district's…