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District presents balanced preliminary 2026–27 budget plan amid enrollment drop and state‑aid uncertainty
Summary
Finance staff presented a preliminary balanced budget for 2026–27 that relies on approximately $3.5 million in expense reductions and a projected enrollment decline of about 100 students; officials warned a stalled state funding change cost the district an estimated $1.6 million in potential revenue.
Chief Finance Officer Mike Gerlock presented the district’s required preliminary budget plan for 2026–27, saying the administration had worked to present a balanced spending plan despite enrollment decline and uncertainty over state funding.
Gerlock told the board that the district’s fiscal year ends June 30 and that a preliminary budget must be approved to provide spending authority before final state aid and levy figures are known. He said the district budget reflects major expense reductions (about $3.5 million) primarily affecting staffing and that the administration is using conservative projections for state revenue and special‑education reimbursement. "When you look at fund 10 and fund 27, that's where the majority of our operational funds are," he said.
Key numbers and risks discussed: a projected enrollment decline of roughly 100 students for the coming year; base revenue per pupil for the district estimated near $11,722 with a $325 per‑pupil factor still in statute; and uncertainty over a state bill that, if enacted, the district estimated would have added about $1.6 million to next year’s revenues. Gerlock said the administration modeled special‑education reimbursement conservatively at about 40% for planning (the bill discussed at the state level included a higher reimbursement target). Board members pressed for clarity on how declining state aid shifts costs to local property taxpayers and noted the importance of updated enrollment and formula factors that will be finalized later in the cycle.
Board members asked for follow‑up sessions; staff offered to provide deeper briefings. Administration intends to return the preliminary budget for board approval at the June meeting and to update the board with enrollment and state‑aid figures through the summer and again in the fall when final numbers are available.
What happens next: board review and expected June vote on the preliminary budget; final levy and state‑aid figures will be set in the fall and could change the budget picture.
