(Final) Forest Hills board hears 2024–25 budget pitch, adopts appropriations and approves contracts and hires

This final version corrects transcription artifacts, preserves only statements traceable to the meeting transcript, and clarifies vote outcomes and procedural follow‑ups. It incorporates the audit fixes and retains direct quotes only where speakers are explicitly identified in the transcript.

Assistant Superintendent Julie Davis presented the district’s proposed 2024–25 budget at the Forest Hills Board of Education’s July 20 special meeting and answered detailed questions from trustees about grant expirations, staffing and fund‑balance projections. The board then considered and approved a set of budget amendments, facilities contracts and personnel actions.

Davis summarized revenue and expense assumptions and the timing risk from the state process. "We are going with the governor's $2 per pupil increase to the foundation allowance," Davis said, a change she estimated at about $2.1 million for the district. She also reported a projected enrollment decline of about 145 students, roughly a $1.4 million revenue reduction, yielding a net near‑term revenue effect of about $700,000 in the draft budget.

Davis warned that federal ESSER funds would largely drop out of next year’s budget: "ESSER III will be ending at 09/30/2024," she said, and identified an approximate $5.4 million reduction tied to that grant decline. On the expenditure side, the presentation showed planned reductions through attrition — listed as roughly 6.4 elementary, 3.8 middle and 5.4 high‑school teaching positions — producing an estimated $2.4 million in expense reduction. She also explained that some positions previously paid through the intermediate school district are moving back in‑house, which changes revenue and expense accounting but does not create layoffs.

Davis presented fund‑balance projections: an estimated current ending fund balance of about $17.9 million, a proposed amendment that would raise the projected balance for the current year to about $19.5 million, and a draft plan that uses approximately $1.5 million of fund balance next year, leaving an estimated balance near $18 million.

Trustees asked for more itemized detail and earlier finance briefings; one trustee (Speaker 4 in the transcript) argued for deeper cuts and a more public, category‑level review, while others urged that many staffing changes occur through attrition or collective bargaining and recommended a strategic review with the incoming superintendent.

Following discussion, the board made motions and took roll‑call votes on appropriations and other items. The meeting record shows the board adopted the 2024–25 general fund appropriations resolution and approved related budget amendments. The board also approved the following by roll call:

• Additional asbestos abatement at Ada Vista Elementary by TES Environmental for $118,600.

• Replacement digital sign from Daktronics, not to exceed $48,000.

• New playground equipment for Nat Forest Elementary from Game Time Sinclair Recreation, not to exceed $100,000.

• Appointment of Heather McKinney Rehua to an administrative contract for 2024–25 and approval of a slate of new hires (Sophie Brown; Laura Engelberg; Jordan George; Melissa McNeil; Lauren Trotter; Ross Van Beldhear; Alexander Webster; Andrea Yang).

Administrators reported informational items including several resignations across district schools and noted that the incoming superintendent participated in final interviews for principal positions. The board opened public comment; no members of the public addressed the board. The meeting adjourned after the scheduled business.

Next steps noted in the meeting and recorded in the minutes: administration will finalize budget documents and file required reports, provide more detailed category budgets and earlier briefings for trustees and the incoming superintendent, and move forward with procurement and scheduling for approved facilities work.