Blaine County School District approves staffing reductions to narrow a projected $940,000 shortfall
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Summary
Trustees approved a district leadership recommendation to reduce staff roles after officials said lower enrollment and state budget pressure have increased a projected 2026–27 deficit to about $940,000; the board accepted the recommendation and will use some reserves while seeking further options.
BLAINE COUNTY — The Blaine County School District board voted Tuesday to accept a district leadership recommendation that trims staffing as part of efforts to close an operating gap the district projects at about $940,000 for the 2026–27 school year.
Superintendent Fowdy, who led the presentation, said the district followed a months-long District Leadership Team (DLT) process that reviews enrollment, course sections and staffing assignments and tries to minimize academic impact when reductions are necessary. "We...look at where we may have staff that might need to shift within like, in September, shift from one school to another," he said, describing the multi-step review.
Officials attributed the need for cuts in part to lower birth rates and a drop in incoming kindergarten enrollment. Fowdy cited recent figures showing roughly 280 graduates last spring versus about 165 children currently in kindergarten, noting that trend reduces future staffing needs.
Director Crowe and other staff told trustees the district initially targeted roughly $1.2 million in reductions and was asked in December to add another $500,000 to the proposal after updated fiscal data. Crowe said the updated midterm report showed a larger deficit than previously expected and that the board will likely rely partly on emergency reserves when adopting a budget.
Trustee Dan Turner pressed for clarity on alternatives, asking whether non-staff categories such as supplies, materials and services could be further pared. Finance staff said those line items are small compared with salaries and benefits and that reducing them would have limited effect and could shift costs onto families.
After board discussion about preserving instructional capacity versus deeper cuts, a motion to adopt the staffing recommendations passed by voice vote. The motion leaves open that the district will face further budget conversations and may need additional decisions in the coming year.
The board also discussed the possibility of state budget cuts. Chair Laura Stone relayed conversations with state legislators, including Sen. Ron Taylor, who warned of a significant state shortfall that could affect K–12 funding; Stone said "we don't know what that looks like" but that the district will monitor developments and the new ISB legislative representative, Trustee Blanca Romero, will report back.
The staffing recommendation passed; the district plans to bring refined budget options to the board in the coming months.