Oakland Avenue Charter School presents tentative $6.49 million budget; commissioners approve

Pamela Dwire, principal of Oakland Avenue Charter School, presented the school's tentative budget for the 2026–27 fiscal year at the June 9 Town Commission meeting and the commission approved the tentative budget for submission with the town's budget schedule.

Dwire said the school's tentative revenue projections use an enrollment assumption of 515 students in grades K–5 and 60 VPK students and that the school budget is primarily funded on a per‑student basis (funding follows the student). She said the school budgeted a staff salary pool of up to 3% tied to performance ratings and is being conservative on enrollment assumptions after last year’s midyear declines.

Key line items Dwire highlighted included $25,000 budgeted for counsel/mediation related to an ongoing Disney tax matter, approximately $85,000 for student computer replacements, continued building maintenance and exterior painting cycles, and a carryforward line of roughly $200,000 tied to proportional local sales‑tax receipts the school began receiving in March under Florida statute 212.055. Dwire told the commission the tentative total shown in the packet is about $6.49 million.

Commissioners asked clarifying questions about enrollment timing and revenue true‑ups; Dwire explained that state funding is not distributed in real time and that departures early in the school year create a lagged revenue impact. A motion to accept the tentative budget for 2026–27 passed by voice vote.

Next steps: the school and town will finalize budgets as state revenue calculators and legislative budgets are finalized; the town’s budget work sessions are scheduled for June 23 and July 28, with public hearings in September.