Rockingham County Schools previews $27 million county request as state funding remains uncertain
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Summary
District finance staff presented an initial $27 million request to county commissioners for 2026–27 and warned that state planning allotments and low‑wealth funding remain uncertain; the board scheduled further review at a finance committee meeting this week.
Rockingham County Schools finance director Annie Ellis presented the board with an initial look at the 2026–27 budget and said the district plans to request $27,000,000 in local funding as an initial ask to county commissioners.
Ellis described the drivers behind the request: a projected base local appropriation of $19,600,000; a $530,000 allowance to cover a 2.7% inflation assumption; $969,000 representing anticipated decreases in state funding that the district expects to offset locally; and a projected $1,000,000 shortfall in exceptional‑children (EC) funding. Ellis said the packet also includes $3,500,000 in one‑time purchases, including a $230,000 anticipated replacement of the district's voice‑over‑IP service, replacement Chromebooks for grades 6–12 (Ellis used a planning figure of $350 per Chromebook for an estimated 5,900 students) and staff laptop replacements estimated at $1,600 times 800 staff members.
"We have got confirmation from DPI that we will receive our state planning allotments by the end of this week," Ellis told the board, urging members to review the live budget link on the district website and to bring questions to staff. She said the district was budgeting conservatively and that some state sources remain a wildcard, particularly the low‑wealth ("I‑31") allotment that has fluctuated between districts and years.
Board members raised timing and advocacy concerns: several asked whether county commissioners or their liaison could be invited to the finance committee meeting this Friday to align expectations before the district submits a formal local request. Ellis said the district plans to meet county leaders in early March and hopes to present the budget to the board for approval on March 9, with county submission in April if more time is needed.
Ellis also reported that the district anticipates using $1,000,000 of fund balance in the coming year (leaving an estimated $3,800,000) and will revisit a list of potential cost‑saving options at the finance committee meeting. Staff indicated they are exploring options to accelerate certain purchases to hedge against ongoing supply‑chain and pricing volatility for items such as Chromebooks and SSDs.
Next steps: the board's finance committee will meet Friday at 10 a.m. to review planning allotments and possible cost‑savings; the full board expects to continue budget consideration in March and could adjust the local request depending on the state allotment numbers.