SSD governing council approves FY27 budget despite widespread concerns over $82.5 million gap

The Special School District of St. Louis County governing council approved the fiscal year 2027 budget on June 1 after prolonged public comment and detailed questioning of district finance staff. The vote passed by the population-weighted majority required under Senate Bill 687.

Cindy Ramen, the district's chief financial officer, told the council the budget assumes full staffing and includes 313 budgeted vacancies — a figure the administration said reflects positions the district considers necessary to meet student needs — and 67 newly approved student-facing positions for FY27. Ramen said the district projects an $82.5 million deficit in its operating funds and expects its fund balance to fall from roughly 41% at June 30, 2025, to near 33–34% by June 30, 2026. She warned that if the governing council did not approve the FY27 budget the district would revert to its 2025–26 appropriations under state statute (cited in the meeting as Mo. Rev. Stat. § 67.070). Ramen also said the district may need short-term borrowing in the fall if revenues remain constrained.

Public commenters and several governing council members pressed administration officials on the underlying assumptions. Paul Kaufman, a parent, said the CFO had previously overestimated the county's assessed valuation by about $1 billion and asked whether the revenue projections were realistic. Angie Gray, a human-resources employee, alleged past spending decisions the district had made — including payouts to administrators and large contracts for outside speakers — and said staff morale and certification gaps merited scrutiny. Andrew Black, a long-time teacher and SDNA negotiator, urged the council to reject the proposed budget and demanded greater accountability for prior decisions. Administration responses and the budget packet were relied on repeatedly by council questioners during a lengthy Q&A session.

Ramen told the council eliminating all currently budgeted vacancies would recover roughly $9 million, which she said would not close the projected $82.5 million deficit. Council members repeatedly asked how many of the 313 budgeted positions were student-facing; the administration responded that the large majority of the 313 positions support students across partner districts. Board members also sought clarity about whether reverting to the prior-year budget would restore salary increases included in the 2025–26 budget; administration said prior-year appropriations would not automatically include pay increases that had been included in later proposals.

Superintendent Dr. Mlin confirmed the budget work included a 'writing the ship' plan and a budgetary task force that identified 41 items for action but said the district may need external assistance — including the possibility of a future tax levy — to fix a structural revenue shortfall.

A roll-call vote read by recording secretary Giles recorded district-by-district responses and a weighted population calculation; after the results were tallied the chair declared the motion carried and the FY27 budget approved. The governing council also approved FY26 budget adjustments earlier in the meeting.

What happens next: administration said it will monitor the fund balance and may pursue short-term borrowing in the fall if needed, and the board and administration indicated they would continue planning around a potential levy or other community funding strategy. The council’s final budget action ends the governing council’s immediate approval role for FY27; further implementation steps will be governed by the board of education and district administration.

Note: Several public comments included specific allegations about past contracts and payments cited from the speaker's knowledge or attachments provided to council members; those claims were reported here as presented at the meeting and were not independently verified during the session.