Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Richland 1 leaders warn state teacher-salary mandate will add millions; district to 'prune' budget to avoid using reserves
Loading...
Summary
At a April 14 work session, Richland School District One staff presented FY27 revenue projections and salary pressures tied to a state teacher-salary minimum; Superintendent Dr. Walker urged program 'pruning' and reduced reliance on fund balance while staff prepares a first reading with balancing options.
Robert Lomenak, chair of the Richland School District One Board of Commissioners, opened the April 14 work session and the board unanimously adopted the meeting agenda.
Ms. Bing, presenting the district's general-fund outlook, told commissioners the district will build the FY2026–27 budget around five core priorities: recruiting and retaining professionals; equitable experiences to support educational excellence; social-emotional supports for students and staff; facilities, technology and resources; and improved communication and engagement. She said the district is in budget season and is updating projections after recent county and state figures.
Ms. Bing presented multi-year figures showing the district operated with roughly $384 million in FY24 and $409 million in FY25; FY26 was amended to about $425 million to include a laptop purchase that, once reimbursed from capital funding (about $6 million), would bring FY26 to roughly $419 million. She said state aid to classroom is calculated using weighted pupil units and that the district’s FY27 state revenue projection is currently based on about 20,200 students on the state’s count day.
On statewide aid, Ms. Bing said the House proposed an additional $90 million for state aid to classroom while the Senate proposed $78 million; because the chambers differ, officials expect a conference committee to produce a compromise number between those figures. She cautioned that a lower Senate figure could reduce the district’s eventual allocation and that the district typically budgets conservatively when final state numbers are uncertain.
Salary and benefit pressures dominated discussion. Ms. Bing noted that 80–85% of the district’s expenditures are salaries and fringes and outlined proposed district adjustments to meet the state’s proposed minimum teacher-salary schedule. To comply with the state minimum and provide additional steps and non-teacher increases, staff recommended an average 2% increase to the teacher schedule (estimated cost $3.7 million), a step increase ($1.8 million), and a 2% increase for non-teaching staff and bus drivers ($2.7 million), together roughly $8.3 million in added recurring personnel costs as presented.
Commissioners asked whether bus drivers and other non-teaching staff would receive step increases; Ms. Bing said bus-driver increases have been mandated and implemented in prior years and that the district is required to meet state minimums but not required to exceed them. Commissioners also asked about mill-cap options, CPI assumptions and options to balance the budget. Ms. Bing said the district will present first-reading materials following the work session and will include options for balancing, noting vacancy savings and use of fund balance have been routine tools.
Superintendent Dr. Walker framed a fiscal approach he called "pruning," urging the board to reduce reliance on one-time fund balance to pay recurring costs and to apply a zero-based, outcome-focused review of programs. "You can't use your savings to pay your bills as a long-term proposition," he said, calling for strategic prioritization of programs rather than immediate position cuts and emphasizing transparency with the board as staff develops options.
Board members pressed staff to show how priorities will be weighted and measured and to avoid cutting programs that demonstrably produced positive outcomes during the COVID funding period. Commissioners also asked about the fiscal impact of a proposed homestead exemption increase and expanding paid parental leave to 12 weeks; Ms. Bing said the homestead change remained proposed and its cost had not yet been calculated, and she estimated parental-leave expansion would roughly double the district's prior budgeted impact (previously presented in the session as in the range of about $670,000–$870,000).
The session closed without any votes on budget items; Chair Lomenak adjourned the work session and scheduled a special-called meeting for 5:30 p.m. for continued business and the forthcoming first reading. The district’s staff will supply detailed first-reading materials showing revenue scenarios, potential program adjustments and the fiscal effects of state and local options.
