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Wenatchee School District previews 2025–26 budget; board discusses raising minimum fund balance to 6%
Summary
Executive Director of Business and Finance Sean Fitzgerald presented preliminary 2025–26 figures for the transportation vehicle, debt service and capital projects funds and recommended a gradual increase in the district's minimum unassigned fund balance from 5% to 6%; the board asked for the full general-fund budget before adopting any policy.
Sean Fitzgerald, the district's executive director of business and finance, presented the first of two budget briefings covering the transportation vehicle, debt service and capital projects funds as part of the preliminary 2025–26 budget.
Fitzgerald told the board the transportation vehicle fund will reflect recent bus order timing: "We ordered 5 school buses, and we received 4 of them this year. The final 1 has been delayed and we'll receive in September." Because state depreciation reimbursements arrive after buses are delivered, he said the district plans a temporary transfer from the general fund to pay early purchases in September and then return the funds when reimbursement arrives the following August.
On debt service, Fitzgerald said the district now carries a refinanced 2024 bond (originally issued in 2014) and that refinancing completed in March 2024 will save taxpayers about $6.6 million over the life of the issue; the bond is scheduled to be paid off in December 2033. Capital-projects projections reflect a recently awarded $14.5 million state grant for a Skill Center renovation; Fitzgerald said the district is in an RFP process to select architect and contractor and expects most construction activity in 2025–26, with work finishing thereafter.
The presentation moved to fund-balance policy: under the district's current 5% minimum-unassigned-fund-balance policy, Fitzgerald showed the district's unassigned reserves would be constrained under several scenarios. He said a cautious, incremental approach to increasing the policy would be preferable and recommended that the board's policy committee review and propose raising the minimum to 6% for 2025–26, with final action to follow alongside adoption of the general-fund budget in August.
Board members asked clarifying questions about timing and risk. One concern focused on the timing mismatch between bus deliveries, state reimbursement and the district's cash flow needs; Fitzgerald reiterated that the temporary transfer approach maintains the 20-year bus rotation without disrupting operations. Board members urged that the full general-fund budget and the multi-year forecast be presented before formal policy changes, and several trustees emphasized they did not want the district to raise the minimum fund balance in a way that required additional program cuts.
The board agreed to receive the general fund and ASB budget presentation on June 24, with adoption scheduled for the August meeting after ESD review and any necessary further refinement. The administration will model the budget with the proposed 6% minimum as part of that June 24 briefing so trustees can see the operational impact before any formal policy vote.
Ending: The presentation closed with agreement on a staged approach: the district will present a full budget and 4-year projection on June 24; the board's policy committee will refine the minimum-fund-balance language and the board will consider an August action that would codify any change.
