District 11 approves $182,850 contingency transfer to cover Falcon AeroLab homeschool tuition

The Colorado Springs School District No. 11 board on March 4 approved a general fund contingency transfer of $182,850 to cover final tuition for the 2025–26 homeschool students enrolled in the Falcon AeroLab program.

Superintendent financial staff explained the contingency request: the district partners with Falcon AeroLab to provide aerospace enrichment to homeschool students and receives half‑time funding for participating students. Enrollment in the program rose sharply after the district had already set its budget; the contingency is intended to close the funding gap for certified October counts for participating students. Staff said Falcon AeroLab’s per‑student charge is less than the district’s revenue for those students, so the district nets a small amount for each participating pupil but still needed the contingency to pay the invoiced tuition.

Director Ruhl recused themself from the Falcon AeroLab discussion and abstained from the vote. The roll call reflected ayes from the remaining directors and the motion passed.

The board’s acceptance of the contingency also reflected a threshold rule: the request exceeded the superintendent’s contingency approval limit and therefore required board action.

Next steps: staff will finalize the payment and the district will continue to track homeschool enrollment and contingency thresholds for future budget cycles.