Westonka board approves revised 2025-26 budget, projects $7.1M fund balance

The Westonka Public School District board on Feb. [date not specified in the record] approved a revised 2025-26 budget that updates revenue and expenditure assumptions based on current enrollment and preliminary federal awards.

In a presentation, the budget presenter (identified in the meeting record as Speaker 2) said districtwide enrollment was revised to 2,447 students, up from the adopted figure, driven in part by stronger kindergarten numbers. The presenter said the district’s largest revenue source remains the state general education formula, which the record lists at $7,481 per weighted student and notes a 2.74% state increase compared with last year.

Speaker 2 outlined updates to special education revenue, lease levies, federal preliminary awards and local receipts (admissions, fees, equipment sales and interest). The presentation also described bond transactions the district completed, including a refinancing of callable bonds that generated savings “just north of $350,000,” according to the record.

The district projects an unassigned and assigned general fund balance of just over $7.1 million, about 16.03% of general fund expenditures, within the district’s fund-balance goal of 8%–18%. The revised budget plans to increase the assigned fund balance by roughly $470,000 and to access about $300,000 for planned furniture and equipment purchases.

Board members voiced support for the report and the finance work; the chair moved to approve the revised budget, a motion that was seconded and carried by voice vote. The board also approved a budget goal for fiscal year 2027 to guide next year’s planning.

Next steps noted in the record include continued monitoring of enrollment and a June meeting to formally adopt the 2026-27 budget; the record says federal awards will not be final until spring.