SSD governing council tables a corrected June budget adjustment, approves FY26 budget adjustments after CFO presents updated deficit figures

The Special School District of St. Louis County governing council on the evening of the meeting tabled agenda item 6.01 after staff disclosed a "minor calculation error" in a June 24, 2025 budget adjustment and later approved FY26 budget adjustments following a presentation by Chief Financial Officer Cindy Ryman.

President Kesha Lee read the statement notifying the council that finance and business would resubmit the corrected June adjustment for board approval in October and asked the council to table the matter until the governing council’s December 1, 2025 meeting. Patrick McKelby moved to table the item; a voice vote carried.

Ryman then presented the district’s operating-funds update, saying the district reduced an originally projected FY25 deficit of roughly $75 million to a preliminary actual deficit of about $58 million and that the FY26 preliminary budget projects a $44.7 million deficit with a projected fund balance near 34.7 percent. She said the district’s target fund-balance range is 30–35 percent and noted that final FY25 expenditure reports to the state are due Sept. 30 and could revise the numbers.

During the Q&A, council members pressed for detail on how the district reached the deeper deficit trajectory (the presentation’s "orange line"). Ryman and Superintendent Dr. Mlin attributed the earlier projections to prior decisions, unplanned expenditures, contract/negotiation costs and reporting inaccuracies presented to previous councils and the board. Ryman offered to provide a specific breakdown of the expenditures that led to the prior projections.

Debbie Hopper asked whether the detected calculation error affected the FY25 actuals submitted to the state; Ryman stated the correction applies to a FY25 budget line (a projection adjustment) and not to the FY25 actuals the district reports to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The council discussed state timelines and reporting requirements for grant final-expenditure reports due Sept. 30.

A public commenter whose email was read into the record, MB Blankenship of St. Louis, alleged widespread leadership failures — including claims of a paid Newsweek feature, multiple lawsuits over due process, cuts to staff benefits during a staffing shortage, and large teacher departures — and urged the governing council to exercise oversight and consider leadership changes. Council members and leadership acknowledged strong public concern and said prior inaccurate information had been presented to the board and council; no formal disciplinary action or board personnel action was taken during the meeting.

Later in the meeting the council moved and approved the FY26 budget adjustments (agenda item 6.02); Garrett Mace offered the motion and Megan Veter seconded. The approval was taken by voice vote.

The council confirmed future meeting dates — December 1 (in person), March 2 and June 1 — and adjourned.

What happens next: finance and business will resubmit the corrected June budget adjustment to the board of education in October; the governing council will revisit the item at its Dec. 1, 2025 meeting. CFO Ryman said final FY25 figures submitted to the state by Sept. 30 will inform any further revisions.