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Haysville district presents FY2026 budget, details $80 million bond projects and enrollment losses
Summary
At an August regular meeting, Haysville USD 261 staff presented the fiscal 2026 budget proposal and monthly capital-improvements update, outlining bond proceeds, projected interest earnings and continuing enrollment declines.
At the Haysville USD 261 board'of'education meeting in August, district finance staff gave a detailed presentation of the proposed fiscal year 2026 budget and a status update on bond-funded capital projects.
The district reported a continuing five-year enrollment decline of about 500 students, which staff estimated has reduced state funding by roughly $4 million. For FY2026 the district expects about $339,000 in new money for the general fund and about $111,000 for the supplemental general fund (LOB), for a combined new-money estimate of $451,000 compared with roughly $3 million new money the prior year.
District staff said bond proceeds from the $77 million bond passed earlier this year will be tracked in a construction fund (Fund 31). With anticipated interest earnings, staff estimated roughly $6 million in additional income from those proceeds. Staff said most construction spending is planned for fiscal 2027'FY2028, with overall project completion anticipated by the end of FY2029.
Why it matters: state school funding in Kansas is driven in part by student counts; when enrollment falls, ongoing operational funds decline. The bond proceeds, by contrast, provide a one-time capital resource that district staff must budget and track separately.
Key budget details and district direction - Enrollment: staff reported about 500 fewer students districtwide over five years, a reduction they said equates to about $4 million in lost funding. Board members and staff discussed a conservative approach to building-level spending through December, requesting schools limit expenditures to roughly 50% of current-year budgets until enrollment and final state counts are confirmed on Sept. 20. - Contingency and reserves: the district said its contingency fund has been replenished over the last two years and now exceeds $1 million; staff said more would be preferable but that the district is in a stronger position than when it previously reached zero. - Local Option Budget (LOB) and mill levy: staff reiterated that the board has voted to lower the mill levy for six consecutive years and intends to approve a seventh decrease in the FY2026 budget. The board confirmed the bond debt mill levy for bond and interest remains at 13.714 as communicated to patrons. - Bond accounting: staff explained bond proceeds and associated interest will be accounted for in Fund 31 and used for architect, engineering, and construction costs. The district will continue weekly updates to the bond committee and monthly updates to the board.
Process and next steps District staff reminded the board of the required legal timeline: the revenue neutral rate hearing and the budget hearing are scheduled for Sept. 8 (revenue neutral rate hearing at 6:15 p.m.; budget hearing at 6:30 p.m.), followed by adoption of the FY2026 budget and a resolution to set the LOB rate. The district must submit the certified budget to the county clerk and the Kansas State Department of Education (KSDE) before Oct. 1.
Board members asked staff to continue conservatively managing building-level spending while final state enrollment numbers are confirmed. Staff said federal Title and other federal funds that were briefly frozen have been released and are available for planned uses.
Ending Board and staff said they will continue weekly bond reporting and will present the final budget documents to board members before the Sept. 8 hearings.
