Clarion-Limestone school board advances 2026–27 draft budget, backs free daily breakfast for students

The Clarion-Limestone Area School District board on May 4 presented a draft 2026–27 budget that projects roughly $536,000 in nutrition program revenue, $556,000 in related nutrition expenses under one scenario and a worst-case district operating shortfall of about $20,000, and it approved district participation in the National School Breakfast Program to provide one free breakfast per day to all elementary and high school students for the 2026–27 school year.

District staff opened the financial discussion by reviewing the nutrition program’s year-in-review and participation rates. Jen, the cafeteria representative, told trustees about themed meals and special events and said about 37% of students currently participate in breakfast and lunch; the board heard that higher participation would increase federal and state reimbursement revenue. Administrators said they budgeted conservatively using current participation and existing federal/state reimbursement rates and included an allowance for vendor-driven increases in food and supply costs.

Board members and staff walked through the broader revenue picture: a presenter noted higher state aids tied to retirement and FICA subsidies and reported a decrease in projected medical insurance rates from a previously budgeted 12% down to 8.84% after a regional consortium meeting, producing an estimated $57,621 savings and contributing to a favorable $220,394 variance compared with last year’s adopted figures.

On expenses, staff highlighted program shifts affecting special-education and transportation lines. Riverview Intermediate Unit services were projected to increase by roughly $139,449 because several students are moving from an out-of-district program called NewStory into IU classrooms; the board discussed per-student cost differences between those placements. Transportation costs were expected to rise by about $45,613 under a newly negotiated contract, although the district said van transportation needs would fall by one route as student placements change.

Trustees also considered a proposed $170,000 transfer from the general fund into capital reserves; staff said the transfer is intended to cover near-term facility needs but acknowledged that reducing the transfer would make the operating budget more balanced. The draft back-page figures showed a deficit line of about $76,180 under the assumptions presented; administrators described the bottom-line shortfall of roughly $20,000 as a worst-case outcome dependent on vendor cost increases and future reimbursement rate changes.

After discussion, the board voted to advance the 2026–27 draft budget and unanimously approved district participation in the National School Breakfast Program to offer one free breakfast per student per school day for 2026–27. Board members were not recorded as naming an exact implementation timeline in the meeting; staff said pricing for a la carte items and reconciliation practices will continue as part of routine operations.

What happens next: administrators will refine the draft and return with a revised budget in May, with the final budget forecast to be approved by the end of June; staff said expected increases in reimbursement rates and other revenue reconciliations could reduce the projected shortfall.

Notes on figures in this report: the meeting transcript lists participation around 37% and cites sample line items including $536,000 in nutrition-related revenue, $556,000 in nutrition-related expenses in one projection, a $170,000 proposed capital transfer and a $76,180 deficit figure on the draft back page. Some numeric lines in the transcript were partially garbled; where an exact line-item label was unclear, this article uses the figures as spoken at the meeting.