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CFO outlines FY26-27 budget priorities: teachers, safety, and targeted community input
Summary
CFO Tonya Crosby told the board the district is building a $377 million operating budget (about $750 million across all funds) focused on student achievement. Top priorities from public feedback are academic programming, staff compensation, and safety; final state appropriations will shape the certified budget this spring.
Tonya Crosby, the district's chief financial officer, presented a budget update at the March 27 work session, emphasizing that the 2026-27 budget will prioritize student achievement while balancing projected revenues and existing constraints.
"We are building a budget to invest in our students. It is not about crunching the numbers, it's about prioritizing the needs of our students and turning our tax dollars into success for every student in the district," Crosby said. She described the district's strategic pillars (Support, Engagement, Achievement, Stewardship) and highlighted recent metrics such as improved ELA scores and a record graduation rate of 89.3% for the class of 2025.
Crosby outlined revenue dependencies and timing: approximately 62% of operating revenue comes from local property taxes, about a third from state sources, and federal funds supplement special revenue programs. She cautioned the board that the state appropriation process (House Ways & Means, Senate Finance, conference committee and final gubernatorial action) is still in flux, which requires staff to model multiple scenarios and update projections as additional information arrives.
Board discussion focused on compensation strategy and market competitiveness. Several members urged detailed market analyses across labor submarkets (teachers, nurses, bus drivers, support staff) rather than a single flat increase, so the district can target raises where recruitment and retention risk is greatest. Crosby said the staff will return with detailed projections and recommended priorities at the follow-up budget presentations, including the scheduled April 24 work session and May certification timeline.
What comes next: the staff will present more detailed revenue assumptions and proposed allocations on April 24, with additional board review in May and a planned preliminary presentation to County Council in mid-May. Final adoption is expected after the district's certification process is complete.
