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Board reviews retreat outcomes as part of budget realignment process
Summary
Board members reviewed takeaways from an Oct. 10 retreat that introduced a forced-choice exercise and 12 priority buckets; the board scheduled follow-up retreats on Nov. 7, Dec. 12 and Jan. 16 and expects decisions in February.
Board members used a retreat on Oct. 10 to begin a district-wide budget realignment conversation that will guide decisions in early 2026.
Brandon, who presented the retreat recap, said the session introduced about a dozen broad priority "buckets" — including diverse course offerings, class size, certified support staff, curriculum adoption, extracurriculars, employee compensation, building utilization, educational technology, support services and busing — and used a forced-choice exercise to begin refining priorities. He described the retreats as educational sessions meant to "help set a, understanding and a set of priorities within the school district" and said the process will continue at three additional retreats scheduled for Nov. 7, Dec. 12 and Jan. 16, with the board aiming for decisions in February.
Multiple board members asked that retreat materials and slide decks be posted prominently on the district website, that staff track website visits to measure engagement, and that administration provide a comparison of how administrators ranked the 12 concepts versus how the board ranked them. Administration said they will provide comparative analysis and an FAQ informed by recurring questions from board members and the public.
The board also discussed potential revenue-generation options, such as differentiated activity fees that reflect variable sport/program costs, and noted that the Summer Performing Arts program reported a $59,000 surplus for the previous summer.
