ISD 622 projects $5 million 'rightsizing' target as enrollment, compensatory funding remain uncertain
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Summary
Superintendent Tucci Osorio warned the board that budget planning for next year includes a projected $5 million deficit to address, with uncertainty around compensatory revenue, teacher contract settlements, and enrollment changes tied in part to recent immigration enforcement activity that has driven some students temporarily to remote learning.
At the Feb. 17 meeting, Superintendent Tucci Osorio presented the district’s budget planning framework for fiscal 2026–27 and told the board the administration is preparing to identify roughly $5 million in ‘rightsizing’ reductions if needed.
“We’re predicting our rightsizing target to be at about $5,000,000,” the superintendent said, noting that the district continues to monitor multiple variables that will influence final decisions, including compensatory revenue calculations from a state task force and ongoing contract negotiations with bargaining groups.
Osorio said enrollment is projected to be roughly flat but warned that short‑term disruptions could change district averages. She highlighted a recent surge in remote learning tied to immigration‑enforcement activity: "We do still have students right now in remote learning. We are down from a number that we had last month significantly. We've got about 100 more kids back in person than we had a month ago," she said, urging the board and community that attendance trends will materially affect average daily membership and state funding.
The superintendent also outlined staffing timelines: employer‑side processes for teacher 'round 1 bidding' begin March 4, and certain bargaining groups require early notice dates that can trigger layoff/cut letters if positions are not secured. Osorio described the work principals and admin teams are doing to analyze course registrations and class sections to identify where FTE can be adjusted.
Board members pressed for clarity on how previous referendum outcomes affect the current shortfall. Osorio said the failed referendum continues to have a dramatic effect on the district’s revenue mix and that districts with successful referenda can raise multiple times the per‑pupil resources ISD 622 currently receives.
The board asked about supports for staff and students during the disruption; Osorio described employee assistance programs, building‑level coordination, community volunteer networks, and potential short‑term leaves for staff who need time away.
Next procedural steps: staff will continue analysis in study sessions each month through June and return to the board with specific proposals for any cuts or mitigations once final legislative and contract information is available.