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DeWitt Board adopts 2025–26 budgets; levy unchanged
Summary
The DeWitt Public Schools Board of Education adopted the district's 2025–26 general, community education, food service and student activity budgets and kept the property tax levy at 18 mills for operations and 10 mills for debt. Board members discussed a $337,000 structural deficit after one-time items were removed.
The DeWitt Public Schools Board of Education voted to adopt its 2025–26 budgets for the general fund, community education, food service and student activity funds after a public hearing on the proposed spending plan.
Assistant Superintendent Rob Spagnolo presented the budget framework the board approved, saying the district's revenue assumptions are based on the governor's proposal (a $3.92 foundation allowance). Spagnolo told the board the governor proposed additional categorical funding for at‑risk students and special education, but the district does not expect a material increase at its level. He also said elimination of a prior retirement cost offset and mismatches between reduced revenue and planned reduced retirement expenditures together are contributing about $400,000 toward the district's structural deficit.
Spagnolo summarized totals: projected 2025–26 revenues of about $40.6 million and expenditures of about $42.3 million, creating a deficit in the neighborhood of $1.0 million before accounting for one‑time items. After excluding one‑time items, he estimated a structural deficit of roughly $337,000. Spagnolo also said assigned fund balance previously used to sustain positions funded by federal one‑time grants should be about $1.02 million at June 30, 2025, and the district plans to use about $500,000 of that this year.
The presentation included fund‑level details: community education projects roughly $976,000 in revenue against just over $1.0 million in expenditures (a projected ~ $26,000 deficit with a projected $572,000 ending fund balance), food service remains balanced and continues to provide free breakfast and lunch to all students, and the student activity accounting change shows about $759,000 projected in that fund for year end.
Spagnolo closed by noting the proposed tax levy remains unchanged at 18 mills (operating) and 10 mills (debt). Following the hearing, the board adopted the budgets by voice vote.
The board will monitor staffing reconfigurations (nine retirements/resignations/reconfigurations were highlighted) and the retirement revenue/expenditure mismatch as it finalizes subsequent budget amendments and longer‑term planning.
