Springs Board holds budget hearing on proposed 2026–27 budget; vote set for May 19

The Springs Board of Education held a public budget hearing on the proposed 2026–27 budget and set a binding vote for May 19.

Sam Schneider, who presented the proposal, told the board the draft budget is property tax cap compliant for a second consecutive year, attributing part of the decrease to retirement of debt reflected in the debt-service and fund-transfer lines. Schneider said the district's expenditure budget is just shy of $40 million and cautioned against relying on optimistic end-of-year unspent balances, saying the district will "bring that down slowly over the next 4 or 5 years" to align reserves with tighter budgets.

Schneider noted the state budget had not been enacted at the time of the hearing, so the district is using the governor's proposed state-aid figure for planning. He said there were only anecdotal expectations of a roughly 1% increase but that the district must rely on the governor's number until the legislature adopts a budget.

The presenter outlined the revenue side of the plan, explaining that the district will use a portion of the "appropriate fund balance" (carryover unspent funds) as one-year revenue and said administrators want to reduce that reliance to more conservative levels over time.

Schneider walked through voter-facing materials — including a mailed newsletter — and reminded voters that the ballot contains a single proposition on the budget and that the board election will also be held on May 19. He directed residents to the district website for more details and noted District Clerk Ann Johnson can help residents seeking absentee ballots.

The hearing concluded without public questions and the board reconvened into the regular session. The budget will be put to a public vote on May 19.