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Superintendent presents $61.85 million operating budget with staffing reductions and investments in transportation, facilities and IT
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Shaps presented a proposed FY27 operating budget of $61,846,067, citing a 3.45% increase, roughly $1 million in reductions, staff reductions tied to enrollment (2.0 FTE teachers, 1.0 nurse, 3.0 academic support), and targeted investments in bus telematics, building repairs, curriculum mandates and cybersecurity/AI tools.
Superintendent Dr. Shaps presented the district’s proposed FY27 operating budget at a public hearing, saying the warrant posted with the warrant totals $61,846,067 and represents roughly a 3.45% increase over a maintenance baseline.
Dr. Shaps described enrollment and program trends that inform the request: steady elementary enrollment, a 17% decline in grades 5–8 (about a 115‑student reduction), and stable high‑school enrollment of roughly 800 students. He said those shifts, combined with mandated program requirements, shaped staffing and program decisions in the proposed budget.
The superintendent told the board the budget includes about $1 million in additional reductions from earlier drafts and identified staffing reductions tied to enrollment and retirements: "we've designated reduction of 2.0 FTE teaching positions districtwide, 1.0 school nurse, and 3.0 academic support personnel," Dr. Shaps said. He said the district will monitor retirements and enrollment changes that could affect how and where reductions fall.
Dr. Shaps also outlined major budget increases he described as drivers of growth: investments in transportation (vehicle telematics/GPS for the bus fleet and replacement of end‑of‑life video and audio systems), approximately $700,000–$719,000 for significant plant repairs (HVAC, roof work, gym floor and masonry repairs), curriculum and professional development to meet a new state ELA requirement and graduation course changes, and IT investments for cloud migration, cybersecurity and AI tools.
On revenues, the presentation estimated about $3.7 million in tuition under a tuition agreement, $240,000 in fund balance use, $150,000 in interest income and roughly $1.4 million in school‑nutrition revenue. Dr. Shaps also described the district’s default budget scenario should voters reject the proposed operating budget.
Board members and the public signaled concern about the tradeoffs between staffing cuts and the proposed investments; the public comment period that followed included multiple speakers urging the board to protect student‑facing positions.
