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Mill Creek CFO warns of rising mandates, low state aid and local tax gaps in 2026 budget presentation
Summary
CFO Aaron O'Toole told the board Feb. 10 that Mill Creek ranks low in state and federal revenue per student, relies heavily on local revenue (63.8% in 24/25), and faces growing special-education and health-care costs; he estimated $8.3 million in foregone revenue if the district had raised taxes to the Act 1 index since 2019.
Chief Financial Officer Aaron O'Toole presented the district’s fiscal picture during the Feb. 10 meeting, saying Mill Creek’s revenue and expense pressures reflect statewide trends but leave the district short of funding needed to meet mandates.
O'Toole highlighted that the district’s special education enrollment has grown to about 20.8% of total enrollment and that English-language learners are about 5.4%, driving a need for space and specialized staffing. He said that Mill Creek is more reliant on local revenue than most peers — 63.8% of total revenue in 2024–25 came from…
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