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Kickapoo board reviews preliminary 2026–27 budget and flags food-service deficit, equalization risk
Summary
Board received a preliminary 2026–27 budget showing $3.2 million in projected property tax revenue, a projected drop in state equalization aid, and a sizable transfer to special education; members asked staff to clarify food-service losses and possible use of reserve funds before final adoption.
The Kickapoo Area School District board on June 14 examined a preliminary 2026–27 budget that projects roughly $3.2 million in property tax revenue and carries several major uncertainties, including an estimated $200,000 reduction in equalization aid and an $882,000 transfer to the special-education fund.
Business staff described the plan as intentionally conservative and said final state data expected by Oct. 15 could materially change several lines. The presentation broke down revenues including open-enrollment receipts (projected near $1.1 million), P-card rebates, Chromebook-insurance revenue, and grant estimates such as Carl Perkins and Title funds. The manager said referendum revenue accounted for about $400,000 of the projected tax total.
The nut graf: The budget discussion focused less on new spending than on how much revenue the district can expect and where gaps would be covered — notably the large required transfer to Fund 27 for special education and a persistent food-service deficit that board members said needs immediate attention.
Board members pressed for more detail on several fronts. Staff said the $882,000 transfer to Fund 27 reflects anticipated special-education costs and conservative assumptions about state reimbursement (a 39% reimbursement rate was used for planning). The business manager said high-cost special-education reimbursements and Medicaid eligibility rules remain uncertain, and that the district will learn more at an upcoming claims update.
Food service emerged as a specific concern. Board members noted the program ran roughly a $107,000 deficit last year and has exhausted reserves; the business manager said the district is preparing a detailed breakdown of whether the increase was driven by food costs, staffing changes (moving from a part-time to full-time position), or both. The board requested a July agenda item with the food-service financials and signaled willingness to discuss personnel matters in closed session if staffing performance or assignments require it.
Other budget items discussed included health-insurance runout (projections cited at roughly $1.4 million, above earlier estimates), potential uses of trust/Griffin funds to lower the mill rate (with board members seeking legal and financial implications), and capital-project reserves for future repairs.
The business manager emphasized that the budget is preliminary and would be revised as DPI, grant, and reimbursement figures become available. The board directed staff to return in July with clarifications on pool and food-service fees, the detailed Fund 27 plan, and scenarios for the insurance runout.
Next steps: staff will refine revenue and reimbursement assumptions when state data arrives and return to the board with a revised draft and supporting schedules ahead of the October deadline.
