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Jordan School Board approves 2026–27 budget package, $25 million transfer to self-insurance fund and meal-price increases
Summary
At its June 9 meeting the board unanimously approved a $25 million one-time transfer to shore up the self-insurance fund, adopted the amended 2025–26 budget and the proposed 2026–27 budget, and approved modest meal-price increases for student and adult meals.
The Jordan School District Board of Education unanimously approved a package of budget actions on June 9 that includes a one-time $25 million transfer from the general fund to the district's self-insurance fund, adoption of the final amended 2025–26 budget, and approval of the proposed 2026–27 budget.
Business Administrator John Larson presented the budget during the district's required public budget hearing. Larson described the transfer as a short-term stabilization measure for the district's self-insurance fund, which has experienced multi-year declines in fund balance. "This budget is a balanced budget," Larson told the board as he reviewed major operational items, including negotiated compensation increases, health-insurance premium changes, and targeted additions such as substitute days for elementary schools and additional special-education leads.
The board also approved modest increases to meal prices in the nutrition-services fund as part of the budget package. Larson outlined the proposed increases: elementary student lunches up a quarter ($0.25), secondary lunches up $0.30, and adult lunch prices up $0.90; breakfast prices were also increased as part of the package. Larson said the district last raised meal prices three years earlier and that nutrition-services revenues and federal/state funding trends required the board's attention.
Board members asked questions about the long-term outlook for the insurance fund, the timing of state and federal revenues, and capital projects. Larson highlighted that state funding included a 4.2% WPU (Weighted Pupil Unit) increase but that declining enrollment offset some of that gain. He also noted pending capital work (including ongoing planning for the West Jordan High School remodel) and a $9 million balloon payment to retire a lease-revenue bond next year.
Votes on the major budget items were unanimous. The board approved the one-time $25 million transfer to the self-insurance fund (motion carried unanimously), the 2025–26 final amended budget and the 2026–27 proposed budget, and authorized the business office to make any necessary adjustments after certified tax-rate values are finalized by the county auditor.
Larson told the board the district would continue outreach on cost-saving measures for employees (including health-plan options and non-hospital service sites) and that staff will return with details as rates and state calculations are finalized.
The board also approved several procurement items asked for by staff during the same meeting, including a one-year renewal for Windows device-management software and three-year support for a Palo Alto firewall, plus a facilities bid for irrigation/weather-track controllers intended to cut water use.
