McFarland projects balanced 2025–26 budget after insurance savings and enrollment revenue

District Administrator Aaron told the McFarland School District Board of Education that the district now projects a balanced budget for the 2025–26 school year, reversing an earlier projection that called for tapping about $390,000 from district reserves.

The district administrator said the shift stems from a mix of lower-than-expected costs and higher revenues: a new health insurance agreement that came in below prior estimates, a decision to pause filling a vacant diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging coordinator position, reductions in some extended contracts and bringing some services in-house, and increased oversight revenue tied to rising enrollment in the Wisconsin Virtual Academy.

Why it matters: The district had planned for an operating deficit as it prepared for an April referendum request that ultimately asked voters for less than administrators had sought. The projected turnaround reduces or may eliminate the need to draw on the district’s fund balance, but board members and staff emphasized the changes involve trade-offs that affect staff and students.

“We were coming…