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Board approves third‑interim budget revision; district flags legal, nonpublic‑agency costs and TK funding uncertainty
Summary
Trustees approved the third‑interim budget revision and monthly budget update after finance staff outlined one‑time insurance recoveries, higher expenditures for nonpublic agencies and legal services, and an uncertain outlook for ongoing TK funding that relies on one‑time local support.
The Mill Valley School District Board of Trustees voted to approve the district’s monthly budget update and third‑interim revision after staff presented a multi‑year projection and variance analysis through the end of April 2025.
Finance staff explained that most revenue assumptions remain stable but highlighted several key cost drivers: substantial one‑time local insurance recoveries tied to facility flooding this year; higher expenditures for nonpublic agencies and contracted counseling tied to special‑education needs and hard‑to‑fill positions (staff cited roughly $1.88 million in agency costs that otherwise would appear in salaries and benefits); and elevated legal costs tied to investigations and labor processes (presenter said legal spending reached about $1.1 million this year versus a historical average nearer $400,000).
The presentation also addressed staffing and program changes built into the projection: a one‑year reinstatement of transitional kindergarten (TK) for 2025‑26 supported by a community partner contribution of $500,000, updated COLA and property‑tax assumptions, and newly adopted PUR rates for classified benefits. Staff warned the board that if TK is not funded beyond the one‑year contribution the district will face disruptive staffing reductions next year.
Board members asked for more local property‑tax reassessment detail and for itemized listings in the posted budget packet; staff pointed trustees to the budget update documents where those line‑level items are provided and said they will post the county’s property‑tax forum materials. Trustees then moved and approved the third‑interim revision.
What the vote means: the board accepted staff’s updated multi‑year projection and budget assumptions and approved required interim reporting items. Staff will continue to monitor state budget developments (May Revise) and will return for budget adoption in mid‑June.
Next steps noted by staff included incorporating the May Revise, completing the public hearing and adopting the budget in June, and returning with more granular data on the largest variances (insurance claims, nonpublic agency costs and legal expenditures).
