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Saint Francis board approves preliminary 2026–27 budget assumptions and directs administration to prepare reductions
Summary
The Saint Francis Area Schools board approved preliminary assumptions for the 2026–27 budget, noting enrollment projections and an estimated $200,000 Title I shortfall, and passed a resolution directing administration to prepare recommendations for $500,000–$800,000 in possible program and position reductions.
The Saint Francis Area Schools Board on Jan. 26 approved preliminary assumptions that will guide development of the district's fiscal year 2026'27 budget and passed a resolution directing administration to develop recommendations for reductions in programs and positions if necessary.
The board's vote adopted the district's initial planning assumptions, which Director of Business Services Don DeBell said include an enrollment projection of 3,998 students for 2026'27 (down from 4,061 in 2025'26), an anticipated reduction of about $200,000 in Title I federal funding and aggressive projections for utility and insurance increases. "We have 3,998 students projected for 26'27 school year," DeBell told the board during her presentation.
Why it matters: enrollment, federal flows and inflation are the primary drivers of revenue and expense forecasts. DeBell told the board the funding-formula percentage is not yet finalized and will be updated when the state provides the number; utilities were projected to rise sharply (a 19% average and natural gas roughly 33% in 2027), and contingency assumptions were held steady for now.
Board members pressed staff on the enrollment assumptions and the treatment of PSEO (Postsecondary Enrollment Options) students, who may be enrolled in district classes but whose attendance and funding (ADM) can be allocated differently when they take college courses without a district-college contract. DeBell and Superintendent Anderson said the district will continue refining projections and expect additional updates in the coming weeks.
In a separate but related action, the board unanimously approved a resolution directing administration to prepare recommendations for reductions in programs and positions "if necessary," with administrative background materials noting a planning range of $500,000 to $800,000 in potential reductions. Superintendent Anderson said the projected reduction range was a planning assumption and not a final decision.
Votes and next steps: The board moved and seconded the motion to approve the preliminary assumptions and timelines; the chair announced the motion prevailed. The resolution to direct administration to prepare reduction recommendations was approved by roll-call vote. Staff will return to the board with revised budget materials and specific reduction recommendations as the FY2026'27 budget is developed; the adopted budget is scheduled for approval in June 2026.
Budget context and constraints: DeBell emphasized that enrollment is the largest driver of the budget and that compensatory revenue declines (partly tied to lower free-and-reduced lunch reporting) are affecting federal flows to the district. Board members and staff noted the importance of balancing cost reductions with maintaining the programs that attract and retain students.
The board's action provides a planning framework; actual program or staffing changes will depend on subsequent analysis and follow-up meetings, and the district said it will continue to update the board as assumptions change.
