Eagle Point SD 9 adopts 2024–25 budget after hearing enrollment-driven $2 million shortfall

The Eagle Point School District 9 board voted June 19 to adopt its 2024–25 budget and to transfer funds within the current year after the superintendent reported a significant enrollment decline that tightened the district’s finances.

Superintendent Mister Kovac told the board the district cut approximately $2,000,000 earlier in the year and now projects to be about $2,000,000 below where it needs to be for the 2024–25 budget after an enrollment shortfall of roughly 170 students. Kovac estimated the district loses about $10,000 in revenue per student and warned that if no changes are made the district could end the next fiscal year with under $2,000,000 in reserves; the current ending fund balance is estimated between $3 million and $4 million.

The board held a public hearing on the 2024–25 budget before acting. During public comment, resident Mister Morris urged the board to consider restoring at least one middle‑school counselor at White Mountain and DuPont middle schools, saying counselors improve graduation rates and respond to student mental‑health and safety needs. Morris told the board that a prior administration had cut middle‑school and elementary counselors and that several budget committee members had supported restoring at least one middle‑school counselor.

Following discussion, the board adopted Resolution No. 21 to adopt the 2024–25 budget, make appropriations, and impose and categorize taxes; roll‑call votes recorded affirmative responses from Mister Graves, Missus McIntyre, Mister Stone, Missus Strittenberg and Mister Wolf, and the motion was approved. The board also approved Resolution No. 22 to transfer appropriations, moving $1,000,000 from contingency to support services for building improvements; that motion passed on a roll call vote.

Business officer Mister Hogan and other staff committed to provide additional enrollment detail, including gross departures (reported in one chart at 294) and net enrollment change (about 170), and to deliver comparative data with neighboring Jackson County districts. Board members asked staff to investigate exit‑interview data—noting 62% of withdrawals listed in the report were due to families moving away and about 10% cited intent to homeschool—and to return with more detail on who is leaving and why.

The board did not postpone adoption of the budget; instead it passed the budget and the intra‑year transfer and directed staff to supply further staffing and enrollment analyses in coming reports. The board also discussed calendar and meeting scheduling for July and August as part of routine governance business. The meeting ended after acknowledgments of a recent graduation.