ROCORI School Board reviews preliminary 2025–26 budget; community‑education shortfall flagged

District staff gave the school board a first reading of the preliminary 2025–26 budget, presenting revenue and expense projections, enrollment estimates and a request for follow‑up analysis on Community Education and preschool finances.

Jason, a district staff presenter, told the board: "This is the first reading of next year's budget." He and other staff said the packet contains some non‑material calculation and labeling errors that will be cleaned up before the next meeting; no formal budget action was taken at the meeting.

The packet shows a 2.74% increase in the state basic general education aid for the coming year, which staff described as near the top of the legislature’s 2–3% guideline. The May enrollment update listed 2,376 students; staff used that figure as the district’s projection for next year. Staff said open enrollment and cohort movement could push enrollment above 2,400 in a best‑case scenario, but noted some smaller cohort sizes in middle and high school grades that reduce margin for error.

On fund balances, staff reported the district expects a roughly balanced general fund going into next year and said operating capital is approximately $490,000. Food service is expected to have a fund balance of roughly $750,000 next year after recent equipment purchases; staff said they do not currently expect federal program changes to materially affect local food service revenue.

Community Education and preschool were highlighted as an area of concern. Staff presented a community service fund projection of roughly $1.8 million in revenue against about $2.1 million in expenses, producing an anticipated spend‑down of approximately $200,000 next year under current programming and rates. Within those programs staff reported a small childcare revenue shortfall (about $4,000) and a preschool overspend (about $10,000) in current accounting. Staff said raising the district’s daily rates toward the local average could, at one estimate, generate "over $100,000 a year," but they did not recommend an immediate rate change and said they would bring options to the board.

Staff also summarized capital plans tied to a recent bond sale for building and HVAC projects and said the district expects to spend down building‑fund bond proceeds on summer work. On investments, staff said cash is held at Granite Bank (Granite City) and with PMA Financial, and that board policy restricts investments to safe instruments (treasuries, CDs, money markets).

Next steps: staff said they will correct errors in the draft packet, produce a separate document of the budget assumptions, and return to the board with updated figures and a separate, deeper analysis of Community Education/preschool options before the board must adopt a budget by June 30. Jason said staff would incorporate any final legislative finance decisions before the final budget is presented.

Board members asked for additional enrollment cohort detail and for comparative information about other districts’ Community Education pricing and staffing. Several board members urged caution before increasing tuition and suggested the finance committee or a special review present options that could include modest, phased rate changes or other expense adjustments.

No formal votes on the budget were taken; the item was presented as a first reading and tabled for further refinement and a formal approval vote at a future meeting.