Cedar Falls board approves year-end payments, property-loss transfers and fee schedule

The Cedar Falls Community School District Board of Education on June 8 approved a slate of routine fiscal actions to close the 2025–26 year and authorized operational items for 2026–27.

In a consented motion, the board gave the district’s business office and chief financial officer authority to process year-end claims through June 30, with a listing of those year-end payments to be presented at the first board meeting of the new fiscal year. Financial staff told the board the process allows invoices that arrive before the fiscal-year cutoff to be paid in the correct accounting period.

On property-loss reimbursements, the board approved transfers from the management fund: $6,000 to the general fund and $25,000 to the physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) fund to cover deductible costs tied to automotive and facility damage (including a playground claim at Hansen Elementary). Staff explained that deductibles and claim frequency can influence future premiums; the board discussed but did not change deductibles.

The board also approved the 2026–27 fee schedule. Key changes include an increase in adult lunch price from $5.00 to $5.30 to comply with national lunch program minimums, a $2 increase in textbook fees, and modest increases to transportation fees to reflect rising fuel and operational costs.

Finance staff reviewed the May financial report in detail. Highlights presented to the board included General Fund monthly revenues of roughly $7.8 million and expenditures of about $8 million (the higher monthly spending reflects an annual flow-through accounting entry), total cash and investments across district funds of approximately $21.8 million, SAVE fund revenues near $721,000 with a $357,000 transfer, PPEL balances supporting projects such as the Shields Tiger Performance Center and the natatorium, and a twice-yearly debt-service payment in May that included principal and interest totaling about $9.3 million.

Board members asked targeted questions about the district’s coffee-shop enterprise (a proprietary, self-sustaining fund with over $50,000 in balance used for equipment and selective grants), student involvement in CTE-related enterprise operations, and whether the recent charter-school law requiring activity participation without charge would create financial pressure if charter students sought access to district activities. Staff said the charter-school participation guidance is recent and that most surrounding districts have long-standing agreements with non-public schools; the new charter provision limits the district’s ability to bill charter schools for participation in activities the charter does not offer.

All motions on year-end claims authorization, property-loss transfers and the fee schedule were approved by voice vote; the board then proceeded with other agenda items.