Finance director warns of tightening cash flow; committee moves insurance RFP and considers contract strategies
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Summary
Finance staff reported an audited ending fund balance of $14.2 million but warned of projected operating losses and cash-flow pressure into late 2026. The committee instructed staff to solicit proposals for insurance-broker services and discussed RFPs versus negotiated extensions for audit and HVAC services.
District finance officials told the St. Landry Parish School Board committee that the district’s audited ending fund balance reflects $14,200,000 but that projected operating shortfalls and scheduled bond payments will tighten cash flow later in the fiscal year.
Miss Grant, who presented the finance slides, said the district is facing a projected loss for the 2025–26 year and that certain large, scheduled payments in July will change current positive results into months of negative cash flow if additional revenue sources do not materialize. "We might not make it past this fiscal year," she said in the presentation.
Committee action: Members voted to move a recommendation to the full board to solicit a request for proposals for insurance-broker services. Board members debated whether to run competitive RFPs for audit and maintenance services or to negotiate extensions with existing vendors to avoid immediate market-driven price spikes. A vendor who spoke at the meeting warned that HVAC equipment prices and lead times remain elevated and predicted a higher bid environment if the district immediately solicits full market bids.
Why it matters: The finance presentation framed other agenda items—facility acquisitions, curriculum purchases, and staffing proposals—as constrained by this fiscal context. Board members asked staff to prepare comparisons that would allow the full board to weigh the transparency and potential savings of an RFP against the short-term pricing risks of going to market for certain services.
Next steps: Staff will issue an RFP for insurance-broker services (moved to the full board) and prepare information for the full board on options for HVAC contract negotiation versus an RFP, along with clear comparisons to current contract terms.
Votes and motions summarized: The committee recorded 'all in favor' on the insurance-broker RFP referral and moved other procurement recommendations to the full board for final action.
