Winona Area Public School District board approves 2026 budgets and related items

The Winona Area Public School District Board approved a set of 2026 budget items Tuesday, including the district's construction plan and budgets for multiple funds, the general fund (Fund 1) and the district's final 2026 budget.

Board members voted in favor of each motion after staff presentations and follow-up questions about reserve levels, capital-project cost overruns and state and federal revenue assumptions. No named roll-call tallies were recorded in the meeting transcript; the meeting record shows motions carried with the board's verbal "aye".

Board discussion focused on the district's projected general-fund change in reserve and the cause of a roughly $913,000 deficit line on the summary. District staff said most of that projected spenddown is tied to capital projects and previously authorized levies and is expected to be recovered in future levy cycles; the operating (unreserved) general-fund balance was reported as growing by about $403,000 in the proposed budget.

Superintendent and staff reviewers described the general fund budget as $43,512,000 in projected revenues and about $44,425,000 in expenditures; staff emphasized that the operating (unreserved) portion was not driving the deficit figure and that one large capital cost (a high-school project referenced in the transcript) produced the near-term spenddown.

Board members pressed for clarity on summary pages in the packet, asked staff to call out the unreserved vs. reserved lines and sought assurances about how the district will manage labor negotiations, transportation contract risks and potential legislative changes that could affect revenues.

The board approved: - A motion described in the transcript as including the "2026 Old Town Trust" (motion recorded as carried). - The 2026 construction plan and budget (motion recorded as carried). - The 2026 instruction (instructional) fund budget (motion recorded as carried). - The 2026 general fund (Fund 1) budget (motion recorded as carried). - The district's 2026 final budget (motion recorded as carried).

Staff told the board they will continue work on implementation details, monitor state and federal revenue decisions, and return with any necessary adjustments or follow-up items. The board scheduled additional review and asked for any follow-up questions to be submitted within days so negotiation and implementation work can continue.

Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting): - Approval: motion to include the 2026 Old Town Trust item — outcome: approved (motion carries; no mover/second or recorded tally in transcript). - Approval: 2026 construction plan and budget — outcome: approved (motion carries; no mover/second or recorded tally in transcript). - Approval: 2026 instruction fund budget — outcome: approved (motion carries; no mover/second or recorded tally in transcript). - Approval: General Fund (Fund 1) budget — outcome: approved (motion carries; no mover/second or recorded tally in transcript). - Approval: 2026 final budget (inclusive of previously approved items) — outcome: approved (motion carries; no mover/second or recorded tally in transcript).

The board's packet and staff commentary identified the need to monitor a pending First Student transportation contract, labor negotiations and potential state-level revenue changes; staff said those items could affect future budgets and will be tracked as the district implements the adopted 2026 plan.

Ending: Staff will return to the board with updates if negotiating items (for example, transportation and labor contracts) produce material budget changes; trustees asked staff to provide clear summary pages showing the unreserved and reserved general-fund balances at the next reporting step.