Finance director reports improved transportation funding, persistent food‑service deficit; board approves March reports and BARS

Doctor Renier Martins, the district’s director of finance, presented the March consolidated financial report to the board on May 6, reporting a stronger cash position in fund 11000 and ongoing structural pressures in food services.

Martins summarized key points: fund 11000 showed a cash balance he described numerically as about 5,700,000 (presented verbally); transportation deficits that had been a challenge last year improved this fiscal year after increased funding from the Public Education Department, and food services faces a continuing deficit in the range Martins described as about $270,000–$300,000 tied to staffing required to sustain scratch‑made meals. He told the board finance staff are reviewing whether to reduce the deficit with operational changes or supplement with local sources used by some districts.

Martins also described a FY27 "sandbox" payroll model that projects next year’s salary and benefits impacts; the model incorporates Collective Bargaining Agreement salary changes and updated benefits assumptions to produce a pro forma payroll for the year. He said work on positive pay processes and CSV uploads for the district’s bank vendor (Centennial) is underway.

After discussion, the board voted to accept the March 2026 financial reports as presented and later approved the district’s Budget Adjustment Requests (BARS). During Q&A members asked for an athletics budget breakdown; Martins said athletics for next fiscal planning is being modeled and estimated at about $1.3 million in total and that line‑by‑line detail can be provided after the budget is finalized.

The board’s approvals were by roll‑call vote with affirmative votes from the members present.