Trustees adopt 2025–26 tentative and final budgets; board also approves 5‑year capital plan
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Summary
Trustees adopted the district’s 2025–26 tentative and final budgets and approved a five‑year capital plan that prioritizes HVAC and boiler work, while staff warned that ongoing enrollment declines and rising special‑education costs may force staffing and program adjustments.
The Douglas County School District board voted unanimously to approve the district’s 2025–26 tentative budget (to be filed with the state) and to adopt a five‑year capital improvement plan (CIP) that prioritizes mechanical, electrical and plumbing projects across the district.
Why it matters: The district is operating with limited new revenue and declining enrollment. Trustees and staff described a shrinking fund balance, the temporary abandonment of a 1 percent contingency, and the possibility of staffing adjustments if enrollment declines continue.
Budget discussion: Chief financial staff said the tentative budget adds one small discretionary change but otherwise keeps the district’s projections intact pending state budget action. District finance director Sue Estes said the district had “no new revenue right now” and is planning to reconcile budgets in December once state allocations and actual enrollments are finalized. She told trustees the district aims to restore a 4 percent ending fund balance (AR 603) and recommended the board direct staff to present a formal plan to reach that threshold.
Trustees and members of the public pressed officials on staffing impacts. Staff warned that sustained enrollment losses — they cited historic declines beginning in 2022–23 — mean staffing reductions could be required: "If you lose enrollment at 250 kids a year, you have to do staffing changes," Estes said. Public speakers and trustees urged exploring housing and economic strategies to stabilize enrollment.
Special education and other fixed costs were highlighted as pressure points. The finance director said special education costs had increased materially and that transfers from the general fund to special education rose during the current year.
Five‑year capital improvement plan: The board approved a CIP that focuses on urgent facility needs. Scott McCullough, project manager, said the CIP fund holds roughly $2.8 million, with roughly $600,000 annually earmarked for IT and the remainder prioritized for MEP work (mechanical, electrical, plumbing). Projects include a boiler replacement phase, rooftop HVAC units at elementary schools, phased work at Carson Valley Middle School and an annual engineering/design allocation.
McCullough and staff also described a county partnership to retrofit Douglas High School’s tennis courts — converting four courts to six, adding new lighting, and creating pickleball courts and public restrooms — funded in part by the town of Minden. Trustees asked about liability and use; legal counsel said the project would be governed by an interlocal or joint‑use agreement defining insurance and hours of access.
Trustee action and next steps: Trustees voted to approve the budget filing as presented and directed the superintendent and staff to file the required documentation with the state. They also approved the five‑year CIP and asked staff to return with specific project timelines and how the district might reallocate unidentified MEP funds (a $300,000 placeholder) for urgent needs such as fencing or security repairs if directed.
Ending: The district will move into implementation and closer budget review; staff said they would return in December with reconciled figures after state allocations and final enrollment counts.
