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Durango School District previews 2026–27 budget; PPR, averaging changes yield modest revenue lift
Summary
Finance director Kira Horn presented the proposed 2026–27 budget: per‑pupil revenue projected to rise from $11,835 to $12,355, a $662,000 program increase from averaging changes, insurance and compensation increases to push expenditures up, and bond/debt service and transfers highlighted as areas to monitor.
Durango School District No. 9‑R finance director Kira Horn presented the board with the district’s proposed 2026–27 budget and the financial assumptions underpinning projected revenues and expenditures.
Horn told the board the state school finance formula is budgeted at a 30% implementation assumption for next year and that the district would move from four‑year to three‑year enrollment averaging. That combination, she said, increases the district’s total program by about $662,000. Horn also said she expects per‑pupil revenue (PPR) to rise from $11,835 in the current year to about $12,355 for 2026–27 under these assumptions.
On the expenditure side, Horn summarized savings and pressures: changes to class‑size ratios and staffing structure are projected to reduce salaries/benefits costs by roughly $3.3 million, while insurance costs are projected to increase about 7%, and a tentative compensation agreement would add approximately $2.6 million in recurring costs plus a one‑time $1.4 million payment that the district anticipates issuing in June 2026.
Horn explained an accounting change in how charter allocations are shown (reclassifying a pass‑through as a revenue reduction rather than an expenditure) to align budget presentation with audited statements. She also reviewed planned transfers — about $680,000 to capital projects and a transfer into the interscholastic fund — and noted that the interscholastic fund will likely need general‑fund support in future years because its ending balance is projected near zero without additional revenue.
Board members asked about contingency planning, timing of the tentative compensation payment (June vs. July), and bond‑fund draw schedules. Horn flagged the bond/bond‑service schedule for 2026–27 — roughly $10 million in interest and $7.7 million in principal projected — and said some capital amounts, including construction estimates tied to Three Springs, remain placeholders that could change before final adoption.
Next steps: the board will consider final budget adoption at its June meeting after the supplemental budget and any adjustments are finalized.
