Emporia Board adopts 2025–26 USD 253 budget, approves exceeding revenue‑neutral rate and 33% local operating cap

The Emporia Board of Education voted unanimously to adopt the USD 253 budget for the 2025–26 school year and approved two related resolutions on the night of the meeting. The board also closed the required public hearings before voting; no members of the public spoke during the hearings.

Board members moved and seconded the motions to approve the budget and the related resolutions. The roll call for the motion to adopt resolution 2025‑8 (authorizing the board to exceed the revenue‑neutral rate to finance the 2025–26 budget) recorded the following votes: Jennifer Thomas, Grant Bridal, Lillian Lincoln Filter, Leslie Veil, Art Gutierrez and Jamie Reber — all “aye.” The motion passed 6‑0.

The board subsequently adopted resolution 2025‑9 to set 33% as the maximum local operating budget (LOB) percentage for the district’s 2025–26 budget and then moved to adopt the full USD 253 2025–26 budget as submitted; both motions passed 6‑0.

Why it matters: the board’s actions set the district’s tax and spending plan for the coming school year and include a mill‑rate increase the business office says is needed to cover operating pressures. Interim Assistant Superintendent for Business and Operations Josh Schwartz and staff member Kate Cape presented the budget and described drivers of the increase, including a proposed supplemental general mill‑rate increase of about 0.924 mills. According to the presentation, 0.3 mills of that increase is associated with bond and interest payments and other project funds; staff said that portion helps to maintain debt service payments. The presentation also cited roughly $274,000 in additional tax revenue and about $168,000 in additional state aid associated with the proposal.

Staff identified four main pressures behind the spending plan: rising utility costs, inflationary salary pressures (about a 2.28% increase reported by staff), increasing repair and maintenance needs tied to capital projects, and deferred‑maintenance catch‑up to avoid emergency repairs. Special education costs and lower state reimbursement rates were also noted; staff said the state’s estimate for reimbursement this year was about $29.06 (as presented).

Board members asked for clarification on several items during the presentation. One board member asked whether the district had quantified the property‑tax effect of the Tyson facility closing; staff said an impact is expected but an exact dollar estimate was not yet available. Staff also described the district’s approach to budgeting for programs such as food service and bilingual education, noting that software‑driven budget conventions can inflate line‑item totals to preserve authority for unanticipated revenue and reimbursements.

Procedural notes: the agenda and consent agenda were each approved earlier in the meeting by 6‑0 votes. Public comment was open for three minutes per the agenda; no speakers had signed up in advance.

Votes at a glance: - Resolution 2025‑8 (exceed revenue‑neutral rate to finance the 2025–26 budget): Moved (not specified); Second (not specified). Roll call recorded: Jennifer Thomas — aye; Grant Bridal — aye; Lillian Lincoln Filter — aye; Leslie Veil — aye; Art Gutierrez — aye; Jamie Reber — aye. Outcome: approved, 6‑0. - Resolution 2025‑9 (establish maximum LOB percentage at 33% for 2025–26): Moved (not specified); Second (not specified). Outcome: approved, 6‑0. - Adoption of USD 253 2025–26 budget as submitted: Moved (not specified); Second (not specified). Outcome: approved, 6‑0.

What’s next: the board listed its next meeting as Wednesday, September 24, at 6 p.m. (on the meeting calendar). Staff said additional budget details and project‑level planning would be provided later in the year as revenue and grant information is finalized.

No formal dissent or amendments to the budget were recorded in the meeting transcript.