Bend‑LaPine board adopts $255 million 2026–27 budget after $9 million year‑end drawdown

The Bend‑LaPine Administrative SD 1 board adopted the district’s 2026–27 budget on June 16 after reviewing a year‑end finance report that showed an approximate $9 million drawdown in fund balance.

Board members approved two resolutions that give the district authority to exercise the full budget for the coming year; the resolutions’ identifying numbers were not specified in the meeting transcript. Superintendent Steve Cook said the district ended the fiscal year within roughly $400,000 of the $255 million budget set at the start of the year.

Why it matters: the finance report and budget adoption set spending limits and priorities for the next school year and require the district to keep its fund balance above the board’s 5% policy minimum. Staff reported that the drawdown was anticipated, and the board approved planned cuts to keep reserves compliant.

Details and context: the fourth‑quarter report showed the district spent down approximately $9 million of its fund balance for the year, a result staff said was consistent with projections. Cook summarized the results as closely tracking the adopted budget and noted that the district was within about $400,000 of the $255 million figure adopted earlier in the fiscal year. To avoid dropping below the board’s reserve policy, staff outlined a planned $7 million in reductions for the coming year.

What the board did: the board passed two budget‑related resolutions that, according to the transcript, authorize district staff to exercise the full adopted budget for 2026–27. The meeting record did not include a roll‑call vote tally or the resolutions’ numbers; the board’s action was listed in the transcript as “passed.”

Next steps: staff will implement the planned reductions and proceed under the adopted budget authority; the transcript did not specify timelines for individual reductions or identify which departments will bear the cuts.