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Superintendent: multi‑year budget gap widens to $35.3 million; board to use fund balance and make cuts
Summary
Superintendent reported a larger-than-anticipated budget gap for 2025–26, citing declining enrollment and reductions in federal funding. The plan presented uses $12.4 million of unassigned fund balance this year and proposes about $8 million in reductions for 2025–26, with further cuts estimated for 2026–27 unless revenues change.
The Kent School District superintendent told trustees the district faces a widening, multi‑year budget shortfall driven by falling enrollment and reduced federal support.
Superintendent Vela reported the district’s projected budget gap for the 2025–26 school year rose from $14.9 million to about $35.3 million. To preserve operations for 2025–26 the district plans to use roughly $12.4 million of the unassigned fund balance and implement approximately $8 million in reductions this school year; administrators said these steps will keep the board‑required 5% minimum fund balance in place for now. The superintendent and staff warned the district anticipates continued deficits in 2026–27 and estimated that roughly $30 million in additional reductions may be required the following year to remain solvent under current revenue assumptions.
Public commenters framed the financial situation as a leadership failure. Donna Fry criticized the board and district for planning that assumed flat enrollment and for spending federal ESSER dollars on recurring costs without an exit plan. A video comment to the board noted that the current plan would erode nearly half of the fund balance and close the district within a narrow margin of the 5% minimum if the assumptions are off. Several parents and community members asked for transparency and concrete plans to protect services for high‑need populations.
Board members and staff discussed the timing and magnitude of cuts and the risks associated with relying on federal grants that may be reduced. Finance staff said federal Title II and Title III funding is uncertain: the board’s adopted budget included $1 million for Title III, and one federal proposal would reduce that funding by about 70% (roughly $700,000), though staff cautioned that final federal allocations remain unresolved. Trustees asked for continued updates, additional analyses of options and outreach plans to affected staff and families.
The board did not approve a specific package of reductions at the meeting; trustees asked staff to continue developing options and to keep public communication channels open as they work toward decisions.
