Abington Heights board reviews middle school financing plan, FY26 budget shortfall and student plea for more music staffing

Abington Heights School District officials described a phased financing plan for the proposed middle school project and presented a FY26 preliminary budget that shows a $1,480,000 shortfall, while students urged the board to hire additional middle‑school music staff.

At the June 4 meeting, Jim, a staff member in the district finance team, told the board that the middle school project would be financed in phases and would use a combination of bond borrowing and district reserve funds. "We have assigned and committed fund balance. $7,500,000 of that fund balance in the general fund is committed for capital projects," Jim said, noting the district also maintains a capital reserve fund the board can draw down later in the project cycle.

The business-office presentation followed public comment from Ayla Holgate, a graduating student and current band president, who said the band program has grown but lacks adequate middle‑school staffing. "We urge you to take this into consideration when hiring a new music teacher for our middle school," Holgate said, and said the student petition supporting more music staffing had "over 200 signatures." She described current scheduling limits and class sizes that leave some students unable to participate.

Why it matters: district officials said the financing choices and state budget actions will affect…