Staffing study shows low pupil‑teacher ratios and urges monthly budget tracking as trustees weigh cuts and capital priorities

Consultants Lloyd Graham and the study team presented a staffing analysis and peer comparisons at the board workshop, saying publicly available data show the district spends a larger share of payroll on teaching staff and has a lower pupil‑teacher ratio than regional averages.

"Trustees, by definition, have the highest level of fiduciary responsibility," Graham told the board and outlined key metrics: 292 employees in the district (132 teachers), a pupil‑teacher ratio near 13.4 and a large share of staff with five years or less experience. He flagged categories where West Oso diverges from peer districts — particularly certain auxiliary and non‑exempt positions — and encouraged trustees to use coding and data‑cleaning to better track personnel on a campus‑by‑campus basis.

Trustees used the staffing presentation to pivot to budget process concerns. Several trustees said the district needs a monthly financial dashboard so the board can detect when unanticipated expenditures or timing differences (for example, grants, retroactive raises or capital repairs) would push the general fund toward a shortfall. The board asked administration to prepare a "budget parameter memo" that lists revenue assumptions (student count, collection percentage, transfers) and expenditure scenarios (different compensation increase scenarios, maintenance contingencies) so trustees can see how small changes affect the ending fund balance.

Board members and consultants discussed urgent maintenance items — roofing, elevator repairs, drainage and a cracked slab under a campus — and the trade‑offs between funding short‑term repairs from operating adjustments versus waiting for bond proceeds. Trustees requested prioritized cost estimates for the highest‑risk items and asked staff to present scenario analyses before finalizing 2026–27 budget decisions.

Next steps: staff will refine the staffing dataset, provide clearer job‑code mapping, prepare a monthly budget‑tracking template and create the budget parameter memo with modeled scenarios that show the fiscal impact of different compensation, enrollment and maintenance assumptions.