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Laramie County School District #2 approves preliminary 2026'27 budget amid state funding recalibration
Summary
The Laramie County School District #2 board on May 11 approved a preliminary budget for fiscal 2026'27 after hearing that state recalibration and a drop in average daily membership will reduce the district's foundation guarantee and change how health and retirement are funded.
The Laramie County School District #2 board approved a preliminary budget for the 2026'27 fiscal year on May 11 after staff outlined how recent state funding recalibration will alter revenue calculations.
Thomas Logan, district staff member who presented the financial report, said enrollment stood at 1,000 on May 1 and had risen to 1,001 by the meeting. "As of the first of May and as of today, we have gained one student and have 1,001 enrolled," Logan reported during the presentation. He told the board the district had received 77.2% of budgeted revenues for FY26 and had expended or encumbered 86.5% of the budgeted amount to date.
Logan said state recalibration will change several funding formulas the district relies on: the ADM (average daily membership) calculation moved from a three-year rolling average to two years, retirement and health insurance were removed from the per-FTE funding calculation and will be reimbursed differently, and bus purchases and retirement reimbursements will be calculated in new ways. He told the board these shifts, combined with a small decline in ADM, result in an estimated decrease of about $230,000 in the district's foundation guarantee for FY27.
Board members pressed staff for details about leased buses and payout estimates; staff said several buses are approaching lease payoff and cited an approximate $98,000 payout for units with one year remaining and an overall payoff estimate discussed during the meeting. Staff emphasized that timing and reimbursement mechanics with the state remain unclear.
After questions and discussion about reserves and the impact of the funding-model changes, a board member moved to approve the preliminary budget as presented; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. Staff said the numbers in the preliminary document will be refined before the formal budget hearing in July when final state allocations and assessed valuations are available.
Next steps: staff will update the preliminary figures as state data and final allocations arrive and return to the board for the formal July budget hearing. The approved preliminary budget is a working document that will be adjusted for the final hearing.
