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Bellevue Public Schools proposes $137.3 million budget for 2025–26 as special-education costs rise
Summary
District staff presented a $137,265,000 proposed budget for 2025–26, a 2.8% increase over the prior year, driven largely by rising special-education needs and contracted services. Staff said mechanics of state aid and property valuation mean the district must lower its levy under state calculations and will appear at a county hearing in September.
Bellevue Public Schools presented a proposed $137,265,000 budget for the 2025–26 school year during the July 7 board meeting, a figure staff described as a 2.8% increase over the previous year.
District staff said the largest drivers of the increase are special-education and pupil-support services, including higher contracted services, more high-need students and difficulty filling paraeducator positions. Staff described contracted special-education services as “almost $2,000,000” in cost and said those services have grown over time as the district pays outside providers required to meet student needs.
Staff warned that the way state aid is calculated reduces state revenues when local property valuations rise: state aid falls as valuation increases, so much of apparent revenue growth is offset. Because of state levy limits and the certified property-tax authority calculations, the district must reduce its levy even while requesting more overall dollars to fund the budget. Staff said final property valuations will not be available until Aug. 20 and estimated the net funding change for 2025–26 at roughly 3.6% (about 3.1% on another slide), with a two-year average increase of 2.8%.
The presentation explained county hearings required by state law when a district’s “real growth” exceeds thresholds; Bellevue staff said the district would likely attend a Sept. 18 county hearing because Bellevue would need roughly 7% real growth to avoid that hearing. At that hearing the district will present the budget and accept public comment.
Presenters also flagged federal funding risks: a pending report about withheld federal dollars could reduce Title I and other federal receipts and likely would reduce some one-time grant-funded items, with staff estimating a possible $300,000–$500,000 local impact if federal allocations are cut.
Next steps the presenters outlined include returning to the board in August with a final proposed budget to publish, a public budget and tax hearing on Sept. 8, and the county hearing on Sept. 18 before the board must file final budget documents at the end of September.
