Jordan Public School District board approves revised FY24-25 budget and adopts preliminary FY25-26 plan

The Jordan Public School District Board of Education on a voice vote approved a revised FY2024-25 budget that projects a $322,000 shortfall in Fund 1 (the general fund) and later approved a preliminary FY2025-26 budget that staff projected would leave a roughly $16,800 shortfall.

District finance presenter Amy Haferman told the board the revised FY24-25 general fund shows revenues of about $25.7 million and expenditures of about $26.1 million, leaving an estimated ending combined fund balance of about $3.59 million. She said the revised budget reflects one-time increases in RED Act funding, the presence of 34 VPK seats that generated adjusted ADM revenue, increased personnel and insurance costs, and purchases to spend down restricted balances in other funds.

Haferman said the board’s policy target for unassigned fund balance remains higher than the district’s projected 10.9% for FY24-25. She told board members the food-service fund had been drawn down intentionally to pay for equipment and that Minnesota Department of Education rules limit Fund 2 (food service) carryover to about six months of expenditures.

Board members asked detailed questions about the food-service balance, fund restrictions and contingency planning if the state withheld aid. “We have never received a letter from MDE yet,” Haferman said, adding that the district has plans to spend down restricted balances and has not been advised of penalties to date.

The preliminary FY25-26 budget Haferman presented assumes roughly 1,800 students in district buildings, 15 tuition students and a conservative projection of two VPK students. For FY25-26 she projected Fund 1 revenues of about $25.7 million and expenditures just under $25.74 million, leaving the small projected shortfall. Haferman said the district had implemented personnel reductions earlier and that the district’s projected unassigned fund balance for June 30, 2026, would be about 11.5% against a 12% policy target.

The presentation included line-item summaries for multiple funds: student activity (projected revenues about $196,000 and expenditures about $191,000 for FY26), food service (revenues roughly $1.53 million and expenditures roughly $1.57 million), community education (projected revenues about $1.6–1.8 million and expenditures about $1.8–1.87 million depending on the year), construction (large, time-limited spending tied to ongoing work), debt service (revenues and expenditures in the $5.09–5.52 million range) and a self-insured dental fund (projected small deficit of a few thousand dollars).

Haferman warned that state legislative activity could change the budget substantially and that the district would revisit the adopted preliminary budget if new information arrives. Board members and staff discussed continuing adjustments and the need to avoid further staff reductions if possible.

The board approved the revised FY24-25 budget and later approved the preliminary FY25-26 budget by voice votes. The board will revisit the budgets in coming months as legislative and local information changes.