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Superintendent says reimbursements sustain 2026–27 operations; efficiency committee to plan for cuts if needed
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Foos told trustees reimbursements will sustain current operations for 2026–27 but asked the board to form an efficiency committee to design contingency plans (A–C) and warned that the district may need to reduce programs if state funding changes; he also flagged vendor changes for the YTOP assessment.
Superintendent Dr. Foos (Speaker 10) told the Hot Springs County School District No. 1 board that reimbursements, including those tied to bus leases, currently position the district to sustain its operations for the 2026–27 school year but cautioned trustees that state legal or legislative changes could force cuts.
"We are in a position where we're able to sustain our current level of operations for the 2627 school year," Dr. Foos said, adding that the administration will convene an efficiency committee in early fall to prepare a tiered plan of responses — labeled plan A, B and C — ranging from routine efficiencies to deeper reductions that could affect extracurricular programs if required.
Dr. Foos emphasized the district’s preference not to reduce student-facing programs. "It is our intent to do our very best to address this issue in a way that doesn't touch our students and keeps programs intact," he said.
He also told trustees the state is switching YTOP summative assessment vendors from Cambium to Pearson, which will make the next year a benchmarking year and complicate year-to-year comparisons of summative data. Dr. Foos recommended an earlier data retreat so trustees can review MAP and school data and set superintendent goals based on that information.
Trustees discussed retreat dates and directed the administration to propose options that accommodate vacations and allow time for goals before the school year begins. Dr. Foos said the admin team would provide a set of early August dates and other options for consideration.
