Board adopts fall revision to FY25‑26 budget after legislative changes, enrollment update

Stillwater Area Public Schools' finance staff presented and the board approved a fall revision to the FY25‑26 general fund budget, citing legislative changes and the district’s October 1 enrollment count.

Marie (district finance staff) told the board the district’s October 1 count was 8,071 students and that the preliminary projection used in the adopted budget was 8,100. She said adjusted secondary pupil units represent about 29 units and that the basic formula pupil unit value used in calculations is $7,481.

Marie walked through legislative impacts the district incorporated into the revision: an inflation‑adjusted revenue formula increase that added about $1.8 million to projections, a delay/adjustment to compensatory revenue (added back for the year, approximately $212,000 for Stillwater), a reduction in student support personnel aid to $30 per pupil unit (about a $169,000 decrease for the district), and a reduction in school library aid to roughly $10.27 per pupil unit (about $53,000 impact).

She also highlighted changes to special education transportation reimbursement: the state will move eligible reimbursement from 100% to 95% this year (a near‑term negative impact Marie estimated at roughly $351,000 for the district, with a further drop to 90% projected next year). Marie said the net bottom‑line impact for the revision was roughly zero to the fund balance because other revenue adjustments and one‑time uses of fund balance were balanced by expenditure changes and assumed offsets. She asked the board to approve the revision and the board did so by voice vote.

Board members framed the revision as a demonstration of legislative impact on district budgets and thanked the finance team for timely analysis. The administration noted that figures are preliminary and will be refined as final October 1 counts and state guidance are incorporated.