Douglas Unified board approves 2025–26 M&O revision as leaders warn of larger budget pressures

The Douglas Unified District governing board on Tuesday approved a revision to the district's 2025–26 maintenance and operations budget after staff said lower enrollment reduced available revenue by $328,219.

Superintendent Samaniego opened the budget action and turned to district finance staff, who summarized the technical change. "The difference between what we adopted and the revision is 61.3627 ADM," the presenter said, adding that the weighted loss equates to a $328,219 reduction in the M&O budget while capital assistance rose by about $2,273.

Why it matters: the board and staff framed the vote as corrective bookkeeping and a prelude to a larger planning effort. Samaniego told the board she intends to form an internal budget committee of staff and board members to identify program and staffing options, examine underused facilities, and recommend changes before any final cuts are considered.

Human resources reported current district enrollment of 3,508 (including preschool) and an ADM of 3,310. HR also noted enrollment churn: 20 withdrawals and 17 enrollments during November and a broader loss of roughly 297 students from July through November, figures which administrators said are driving revenue declines.

Insurance costs were a second major concern. Samaniego described unusually high utilization: "Just in '25 school year, August through November, we have 3 employees... between those 3 have utilized a 174% utilization rate already," she said, and indicated that the district will issue a request for proposals and consider joining a trust to reduce renewal costs. Finance staff said the district could face a 30%–40% increase from Blue Cross Blue Shield for the 2025–26/2026–27 renewal period if current trends continue.

Board members pressed staff on options to reduce expenditures while preserving student programs. Suggestions included consolidating administrative positions, examining vacancies before hiring, combining transportation routes, and exploring programmatic strategies to attract and retain students (for example, enhancing CTE or dual-credit offerings and expanding middle school feeder programs).

The motion to approve the budget revision was moved by Mister Lindeman, seconded and approved by roll call. Board members stated they will hold a work-study session to review committee recommendations and return with specific proposals.

Next steps: staff will convene the internal budget committee after the holidays and present recommendations in a future work study session; no program eliminations or reductions were approved at Tuesday's meeting.