Litchfield Elementary revises FY25 budget, recognizes $1.1M added for special education; trustees approve several items

Litchfield Elementary School District trustees on Tuesday approved a second revision to the district’s FY2025 expenditure budget that raises M&O funding by about $1,100,000, driven largely by higher weighted student counts for students with special education needs.

The revision, presented by CFO Vaughn, also recognizes a onetime state aid supplement of about $545,000 that the district plans to apply to capital projects, including reducing the bond-funded portion of a modular classroom project at Palm Valley Elementary.

Why it matters: The added recurring M&O dollars reflect state funding that follows changes in student classifications; a single student reclassified into higher-weighted special education categories can change the district’s funding materially. The one-time state capital funds are constrained to capital uses, the district said, and were earmarked to limit the use of bond proceeds on an already-planned modular classroom project.

Details of the revision

CFO Vaughn told the board the increase in the M&O budget results from changes in the district’s average daily membership and weighted student count tied to student characteristics and special education classifications. He summarized the overall effect: "These changes in average daily membership and…