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Saddle Mountain board approves proposed FY2026–27 budget amid state timing uncertainty
Summary
The Saddle Mountain Unified School District board approved the proposed FY2026–27 expenditure budget June 10, relying on updated state guidance released the same day. Staff warned of cashflow risk, denied TANS requests in prior years, and noted a small net downward projection across funds.
The Saddle Mountain Unified School District governing board on June 10 approved a proposed expenditure budget for fiscal year 2026–27 after staff described the numbers as a best estimate assembled under last-minute state guidance.
Superintendent Dr. Wyinners told the board the state’s May revisions — released to the district that morning — included a 2% inflation increase and a standardized increase to transportation funding. Staff kept average daily membership (ADM) flat for planning and said the aggregate budget shows a modest downward trend of about $46,000 for the year.
The budget presentation emphasized that the proposal is a required legal filing due before the board’s next meeting and that it represents a starting point: administrators can amend the budget during the year as circumstances change. Miss King’s June budget report showed projected carryforward balances (about 7% unrestricted carryforward, roughly $3.6 million in the classroom site fund) and noted federal grants are about half spent now because large summer programs are paid from those grants.
Board members pressed staff on cash versus budget capacity. Staff warned that the district can have budget authority without having the cash on hand and described prior attempts to secure tax anticipation notes (TANS) that were initially approved in principle but later blocked by the state office. "We now have to face the very real fact of dealing with budget capacity and no cash," one administrator said, noting the county treasury has not provided an updated monthly cash report since Oct. 31, 2025.
The board also discussed the adjacent ways fund — a tax mechanism that can be collected for off-site work such as fire lanes, ingress/egress, and turn-lane construction. Staff said the district collected adjacent-ways dollars last year in anticipation of a bond that failed; about 97% of that fund remains available and may be used for future projects if a bond passes.
Despite the uncertainties, the board moved to approve the proposed expenditure budget. The motion passed on a voice vote.
Next steps: administrators will use the proposed budget as the starting framework for FY2026–27 and return with amendments as final state and local cash figures become available.
