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Board reviews fiscal 2026 budget plan, recommends 2% base raise and classroom site fund enhancements
Summary
Administration presented a draft fiscal 2026 budget plan and compensation proposals including a recommended 2% across‑the‑board base increase and proposed classroom‑site funds increases (15% portion for eligible employees plus a tiered $500–$2,000 longevity add‑on); board was briefed on projected enrollment declines and use of carryforward funds.
District administration presented a multi‑part update on fiscal year 2026 budget development and compensation recommendations at the March 13 meeting, including projections for maintenance and operations (M&O) and capital funds, enrollment impacts, and proposed salary adjustments.
Administrators said district enrollment fell less than earlier projections for the current year but that another drop of roughly 1,000 students is expected in 2026, which will lower M&O funding. To smooth the shortfall during a period of declining enrollment, the district proposes using a portion of its maintenance and operations carryforward balance (one‑time funds) to cover prioritized compensation increases and other commitments.
Compensation recommendations presented to the board included: - A 2% increase to the base salary for eligible existing employees (estimated M&O cost ~$3.2 million). - A recommended 15% increase to the portion of an eligible certified employee’s compensation funded by the Classroom Site Fund, with an estimated total cost of approximately $2.5 million from Classroom Site Fund and an additional M&O cost (~$143,000) for legacy employees currently paid from M&O. The budget team had considered 10%, 15% and a range of monetary add‑ons; the 15% option was the recommended midpoint. - A longevity/anti‑compression monetary add‑on in a tiered structure of $500 to $2,000 based on years of service (estimated combined cost ~$2.1 million Classroom Site Fund plus ~$177,000 from M&O for legacy employees). The proposed add‑on was intended to target mid‑career compression. - A recommended 2% increase to certain specialized schedules (school psychologists, occupational/physical therapists and others) and a 5% adjustment to certain classified schedules; a $24/hour starting wage proposal for bus drivers was also presented to make transportation pay more competitive.
The budget team also recommended continuing a classified‑hourly retention stipend and proposed targeted increases for school nurse schedules and related service positions, funded primarily through attrition and available carryforward balances. Administrators emphasized these carryforward funds are finite and that the proposed increases would draw the Classroom Site Fund and M&O balances down over coming years.
Board members asked detailed questions about timing, which employee groups are eligible, guidance counselor and mental‑health placements, and whether future adjustments could be made as final state per‑pupil amounts are published. Administration said the budget team would reconvene March 24 and return a final compensation package for board action on March 27. No final compensation motion was adopted at the March 13 meeting; the board was asked for feedback and direction.
Ending note: The district signaled it intends to absorb some benefit cost increases and is prioritizing targeted compensation steps this year while calling attention to the enrollment decline and the limits of one‑time carryforward funds.
