Gilbert School District holds 2025–26 budget workshop, schedules Feb. 5 deep dive

Holly Cassaday, School Corp Chair, called the Gilbert School District’s special meeting to order at 6:03 p.m. Wednesday in the library at The Gilbert School.

Greg Shugrue, Head of School, gave an overview of the 2025–2026 budget process, introducing the district’s budgeting steps, describing how the budget book is constructed and used to identify priorities, and flagging obstacles to producing the final budget. The presentation was described as an introduction or re‑introduction to the process rather than a request for formal action.

The overview covered why the district produces an annual budget, the process for constructing it, and how board members and the public can use the budget book to track proposed priorities and assumptions. No formal votes or budget approvals were taken at the meeting.

Kurt Werner led the Pledge of Allegiance and the recitation of the district’s vision and mission statement before the budget presentation. The meeting record lists Scott Beecher, Joanne Galenski-Girardin, Ellen Marino, Jonathan Morhardt, Theresa Padin, Tara Sundie, Renata Waldron, Diane Cook (Business Affairs Manager) and Greg Shugrue as in attendance.

The board set a follow-up meeting for a deeper review of the budget book on Feb. 5, 2025, at 6:30 p.m. The meeting was adjourned at 6:56 p.m. after a motion to adjourn by Renata Waldron, seconded by Scott Beecher, which the minutes record as unanimously approved. The minutes are signed, "Respectfully submitted, Lauren Jones Dombrowski."