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Clarkston board adopts 2025–26 amended budget and approves 2026–27 original budget; district projects modest deficits
Summary
After a required public hearing, the Clarkston Community Schools board adopted a final amended FY2025–26 budget and approved the FY2026–27 original budget. Administration projected a roughly $4.23 million FY2025–26 excess expenditure and a $1.76 million deficit in 2026–27, with an ending general‑fund balance near $23M.
Miss Nag opened the required annual budget hearing and walked trustees and residents through the district’s final 2025–26 numbers and assumptions for the initial 2026–27 budget. "This is our required annual budget hearing," she said, then detailed the district’s enrollment and revenue assumptions and the fund balances that underlie the board’s formal actions.
Administration told the board the district began FY2025–26 with a general‑fund balance of $28,970,592, estimated revenues of $138,980,022 and estimated expenditures of $143,257,760, producing an FY2025–26 excess expenditure of about $4,225,738 and an ending fund balance of $24,744,854. For FY2026–27 the district assumed a zero change in traditional per‑pupil counts, a general open‑enrollment gain of 100 students (including 25 previously board‑approved), specialized open enrollment +25, and shared services +50. Retirement rates were reduced by 5.89% for 2026–27; benefits were modeled up 7.5%. Using an assumed $250 per‑pupil state aid increase, administration estimated revenues of roughly $143,992,260 and expenditures near $144,858,650 — a projected 2026–27 deficit of about $1,758,850 and an ending fund balance of $22,986,049 (approximately 15.9% of expenditures under these estimates).
Board members asked clarifying questions about format and legal formality of the resolution. Miss Nag emphasized the numbers are estimates until audited: "The asterisk indicates these are all estimates until we’re audited," she said. Trustees noted the fund‑balance percentage guidance (Miss Nag reported an estimated 17.28% if the district spent to the budgeted level) and asked for the packet locations where the final amended columns appear.
After the public hearing and discussion, the board adopted the final amended FY2025–26 budget by roll call and then adopted the original FY2026–27 budget. The roll call for the FY2025–26 resolution recorded affirmative votes from trustees present; administration will publish the adopted resolutions as required by statute and proceed with routine implementation and monitoring.
Next steps: administration will finalize worksheets for auditors, continue monitoring enrollment and benefit cost developments, and report variances to the board as the fiscal year progresses. The board scheduled no further public hearings on these budgets before audit certification.
