The Audit & Finance Committee on Dec. 12 reviewed a presentation on long‑range financial planning that laid out revenue sources, spending drivers and early assumptions for the 2026–27 budget cycle.

Matt, the staff presenter, framed the discussion as preparatory work for a five‑year financial plan and a closer look at investment drivers across revenues and expenses. He said the district’s general fund is about $116.1 million, with the property tax levy providing nearly 60% of revenue and state aid accounting for roughly a third. “We are in the $28,000,000 range,” Matt said of current foundation aid, a large increase from under $15 million in 2021 that Matt credited with enabling recent staffing and program expansions.

On the expense side, Matt said salaries and benefits make up about 74% of the budget and the district has added roughly 69 full‑time equivalent positions in recent budgets, including special education staff, middle‑school teaching staff to reduce class sizes, and elementary instructional support coordinators. He also highlighted investments in alternative education, security staffing and in‑house facilities projects.

Matt described the district’s self‑funded health insurance plan, saying the district establishes a premium equivalent each year and carries stop‑loss insurance with a $275,000 threshold. He warned of volatility in claims and said the premium equivalent for calendar year 2026 rose nearly 12 percent, a factor the district will incorporate into budget planning.

Looking ahead, staff reported an early forecast of a 1.95 percent increase in foundation aid for 2026–27 based on November state data; three employee bargaining unit contracts are set to expire June 30, 2026. Key timeline items: Jan. 13 (budget assumptions to the board), March 10 (administration’s recommended budget), and March/April (budget adoption). Committee members urged making the budget presentation materials accessible to voters; staff agreed to coordinate with communications and to post archived video links and documents for public review.

Next steps: staff will return a preliminary report on the district’s public 'thought exchange' in January, present draft budget priorities to the committee in February and bring a recommended budget to the board in March.