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Camas board adopts 2025—6026 budget after public hearing; finance director presents four-year forecast
Summary
The Camas School District board adopted the 2025—6026 general fund budget after a public hearing and a presentation from the district——director of business services. The district projects a modest surplus for 2025—6026 but a multi-year decline in reserves without additional state funding or continued cost containment.
The Camas School District board of directors unanimously adopted the district——2025—6026 budget following a public hearing and a detailed presentation from Kim, the district——director of business services. The resolution to adopt the budget (Resolution 2501) passed during the meeting.
Kim told the board the district expects an ending general fund balance of approximately $5.9 million for the current fiscal year and a projected $6.0 million for 2025—6026, but noted the fund balance remains below the board——policy target of 8 percent. Kim and the superintendent warned that without additional state funding or continued cost containment, the fund balance is projected to decline over the four-year forecast.
Key budget points the director highlighted included a projected 1.8 percent increase in overall revenue driven by additional state tax and apportionment revenue, a decline in federal funds that had previously supplemented programs, and a $3.9 million reduction in projected expenditures compared with the prior projection. Kim emphasized 85 percent of the district——budget is payroll and benefits, limiting where further reductions can be made.
The superintendent and board discussed enrollment trends: the district continues to project an overall enrollment decline but reported localized "hot spots" where new housing activity is increasing student numbers. The superintendent said the district intends to keep staffing add-backs strictly enrollment-driven and to manage boundary exceptions collaboratively with families.
Kim presented a conservative four-year forecast that assumed continued enrollment decline, existing collective bargaining commitments, and no additional state funding beyond maintenance-of-effort levels. Under those assumptions the district——projected fund-balance percentages fall near or below board policy targets in later years; one scenario improves only if levy collections rise in the years shown in the forecast.
After questions from board members about cash-flow timing and reserve policy, the board moved and unanimously approved Resolution 2501 to adopt the 2025—6026 budget as presented.
