Committee previews FY27 budget: WSF changes, Peninsula Promise initiatives and new special‑education investments
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Summary
District staff told the Audit & Finance Committee they plan a FY27 balanced budget with a reduced use of fund balance, are reallocating about $12.3M of 'standard' positions into Weighted Student Funding (creating an add‑on of ~$471.31 per pupil), and propose targeted literacy (Read to Succeed) and special‑education investments including ~40 new special‑education FTEs and a day‑treatment pilot with MUSC.
District finance staff presented the FY27 budget preview and a set of proposed changes to how CCSD distributes dollars to schools.
Mister Prentice, a CCSD staff member, walked the Audit & Finance Committee through FY26 performance and FY27 assumptions, saying property tax revenue projections are largely on budget and that the district aims to balance the FY27 budget with a $15 million use of a committed fund balance rather than the larger amounts used in prior years. "Our goal at this point in time is to balance the budget with a $15,000,000 use of fund balance," he said.
A major policy change staff proposed is a reallocation of roughly $12.3 million of "standard" (non‑formula) positions into the Weighted Student Funding (WSF) model. Prentice said that redistribution creates an add‑on of about $471.31 per uniquely served pupil and will be distributed through WSF with hold‑harmless protections for schools that would otherwise lose funding in the initial transition. "So what we're proposing to do for FY27 is to shift these dollars into weighted student funding," Prentice told the committee.
Staff also detailed literacy targeted funds to meet the Read to Succeed Act: an $876 per eligible pupil supplemental allocation for students who 'do not meet' or score below the 30th percentile on i‑Ready, and a $1.5 million curriculum and instruction contingency to help schools implement strategies. Prentice said there is no hold‑harmless for the Read to Succeed component and that allocations will be updated annually based on assessment data.
On special education, staff said the FY27 budget includes about 60.5 additional FTEs overall, with roughly 40 FTEs focused on special‑education services (low‑incidence classrooms, registered behavior technicians and other supports). A committee member characterized the $3.2M increase in special‑education funding as the largest investment in special education during their tenure.
The presentation highlighted the "Peninsula Promise" initiatives — consolidation of universal pre‑K on the Peninsula, new family and education centers, expanded CTE pathways, and partnerships such as an MUSC day‑treatment pilot at Liberty Hill Academy (staff cited a $954,000 initial cost). Staff said they will bring rezoning options and detailed budget slides to the Committee of the Whole budget workshop in April and that a special call will recommend first reading to the board later in April, with a second reading and public hearing in May.
Committee members asked clarifying questions about the WSF transition, special‑education capacity and math supports; staff said WSF is already showing outcomes and that the district will use SMART goals and ROI analysis to track the effectiveness of reallocated positions. Staff emphasized the district is not drawing down unassigned fund balance and is preserving reserves above policy thresholds while making targeted program investments.
Next steps: staff will present a deeper consolidated debt and cash‑flow analysis in May and will continue refinement in subsequent committee meetings ahead of board first and second readings.