CVSD board approves $102.7 million FY26 budget, reduces school‑choice capacity to 30
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Summary
At its Jan. 21 meeting the Champlain Valley School District Board unanimously approved a $102,724,062 FY2026 budget, authorized ballot language and announced tuition rates; the board also voted to lower its no‑tuition school‑choice cap for CVU from 40 to 30 students.
Champlain Valley School District Board of School Directors on Jan. 21 unanimously approved a $102,724,062 budget for fiscal year 2026 and voted to reduce the district’s no‑tuition school‑choice capacity for CVU by 10 slots, among other related fiscal items.
The vote came after a presentation from district finance staff outlining an administrative recommended budget that represents a $922,877 (0.9 percent) increase over FY25 while reflecting personnel and other reductions the administration said were necessary because of changes in state law and declining enrollment. The board also approved ballot language that will send the budget to voters at the district’s annual meeting and set announced tuition rates for non‑resident tuition students.
Why it matters: Board members and staff said the FY26 budget balances a compressed state implementation timeline for recent statutory changes with an effort to preserve as many programs and staff as possible. The district administration described multi‑year planning begun in anticipation of the changes and said a combination of declining weighted pupil counts and rising benefit costs — most notably health insurance — required about $4.2 million in reductions from a level‑service budget.
Key facts and context: The administration presented the recommended budget as $102,724,062 (the board inserted that figure into the motion). Staff said the district projects 5,685 weighted pupils under the new state formula and noted that weighted pupil counts and yield figures used to compute tax rates are subject to finalization later this spring. Administration reported 38.85 full‑time‑equivalent (FTE) positions reduced in the FY26 proposal and cited personnel reductions totaling roughly $3.6 million. Health insurance costs for the district’s preferred family plan were shown rising from about $17,000 in FY18 to just over $40,000 in the FY26 projection.
On school choice: The board approved reducing the district’s unrestricted school‑choice cap from 40 to 30 students for CVU; the board said five slots will continue to be reserved for students who previously left the district but need to finish their CVU education. Board members noted that school‑choice students do not bring additional weighted‑pupil credit under the current financing model and that the district has historically maintained a higher cap than many neighboring districts. The change was framed as a gradual adjustment in response to enrollment trends and budget constraints.
Ballot and tuition items: The board approved ballot wording that will appear at the annual meeting and town meeting voting and authorized the use of $1,747,254 of fund balance for future budgets (not applied to the FY26 tax levy). The board also approved announced tuition rates for FY26: $21,077 for kindergarten and grades 1–6 and $20,283 for grades 7–12. Board members clarified that towns that do not operate high schools typically pay tuition for students who attend CVSD schools; the school‑choice cap applies to no‑tuition placements for students from districts that have a high school.
Process and next steps: Administration said final tax rates remain subject to state yield and appraisal (CLA) calculations, which will be clearer after the legislature finalizes yield factors in spring. The budget will go to voters at the district’s annual meeting on March 3, 2025, with town meeting voting on March 4. Board members and staff emphasized continuing legislative developments could affect FY27 and beyond and urged attention to the ongoing state budget and education policy process.
Votes at a glance: - Reduce CVU school‑choice capacity from 40 to 30 (retain 5 reserved slots for students who must finish at CVU): Motion approved (voice vote; unanimous). Note: mover/second not specified in the record; the board explained the change is intended to avoid disrupting students currently enrolled. - Adopt FY26 budget of $102,724,062: Motion approved (unanimous). The board recorded the dollar amount in the motion and approved ballot language sending the budget to voters. - Approve ballot articles (budget and fund‑balance allocation for future budgets): Motion approved (unanimous). - Approve announced tuition rates for FY26 ($21,077 K–6; $20,283 grades 7–12): Motion approved (unanimous).
Board members and administrators repeatedly framed the FY26 package as a difficult but responsible attempt to balance program preservation and required reductions given compressed state deadlines, rising benefit costs and recent enrollment declines. The board scheduled continued review and outreach: administration will begin public communications and presentations to municipalities and community groups ahead of the March annual meeting and voters’ day.
