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Special School District ratifies retroactive teacher stipends and approves budget items amid FY27 planning
Summary
The board ratified agency expenditures for legislative stipend funds distributed in November 2025, reviewed FY2027 budget development timelines and approved a budget item on the agenda by a 6–0–1 roll call. Finance staff said the district’s appropriation was about $36.33 million and that only items approved in House Bill 1 become final appropriations.
The Board of Directors of the Special School District on the morning session ratified the administration’s distribution of legislatively provided teacher stipends and accepted a budget item tied to the agency’s operating plan.
Delvicky Opiku, the district’s executive director for finance and business, told the board the school district was appropriated “approximately $36,330,366” and that the operating budget must be adopted by the board before those dollars can be used. Opiku said the agency will provide appropriation letters and update the board as the Legislature completes action on House Bill 1.
General counsel Ty Maneri said the Legislature added a significant stipend allocation after the district’s original budget was adopted, and because the funds “needed to be expended by the end of the calendar year 2025,” the administration distributed the stipend payments in November and asked the board to ratify those expenditures retroactively.
Catherine Presley moved to accept the budget item on the agenda. The board approved the motion on a roll call with six members voting yes and one abstention (Liam Dole).
The presentation also previewed the FY2027 budget process. Opiku said agency requests were submitted to the Office of Planning and Budget by Nov. 1 and that the Legislature will negotiate and determine final appropriations. She emphasized that request items are public records but only items appearing in House Bill 1 become official appropriations.
What happens next: staff said they will provide appropriation letters and further budget updates as final legislative action is known, and the board will return in a special meeting after HB1 is finalized to adopt the operating budget for spending authority.
