Board approves FY26 operating budget; notes county bus funding may be cut and raises substitute pay

The Washington County Board of Education voted unanimously April 15 to adopt its FY26 general fund operating budget, while acknowledging the budget may need revision if Washington County government removes a proposed $2,240,000 capital allocation for replacement school buses.

Board members approved the budget with edits from an April 8 budget work session. Board leaders said the Board of County Commissioners’ chief financial officer emailed the school system on the morning of April 15 to say the bus purchase may be cut; the board noted the possibility and said it could revise the approved FY26 budget later if the county acts.

Why it matters: The budget funds day‑to‑day operations across the county’s schools. A removal of the bus allocation would require the board and staff to reallocate or remove planned purchases and could prompt a future vote to revise the adopted budget.

Chief Financial Officer’s explanation of health‑plan costs The board heard a detailed explanation of the district’s self‑insured health plans from the chief financial officer and benefits staff. The CFO said the district is self‑insured — "which means we pay actual claims. Whatever the actual claims are ... that's the actual cost that the board pays, plus the administration fees" — and described ongoing healthcare inflation and prescription costs the board is watching. The CFO said growth in GLP‑1 weight‑loss drug use has been significant and noted that for the most recent reporting period those prescription drugs cost the plan $477,000 in a single month. He also said some biologic drug patents are expiring, which may yield future savings via biosimilars.

Amendments and votes - The board considered several amendments proposed by members. Three substantive amendment motions — to add a supervisor of equity and excellence at $140,000 (offset by reducing OPEB by $140,000); to restore 15 school safety and security assistant positions at a cost of $942,900 while eliminating a connected‑grades program; and a separate motion to add those 15 safety positions funded from OPEB — failed (motions failed on the floor; no later recorded adoption).

- The board adopted one amendment increasing the regular substitute teacher daily wage rate by $10 per full day and $5 per half day, at an estimated annual cost of $162,000; the amendment funded that increase by reducing the planned increase to the Other Post‑Employment Benefits (OPEB) liability by the same amount. That amendment passed unanimously and was folded into the approved FY26 budget.

- Following discussion the board voted to adopt the FY26 general fund operating budget (as edited on April 8 and amended on April 15). The motion to adopt the budget passed unanimously.

What the board said President Zentmayer and other board members thanked central office staff for months of work on the numbers. Several members emphasized continuing uncertainty at the county and state levels and asked staff to prepare for possible future adjustments if county capital funds are removed.

What happens next Board staff said they will monitor the Washington County Commissioner actions on the county CIP funding and will return to the board if formal county action requires a revision to the adopted FY26 budget.

Provenance: discussion and motions on the FY26 general fund budget begin in the transcript when the board introduced the FY26 budget and the county funding question and continue through the final adoption vote recorded later in the meeting.