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District projects modest near‑term surplus but warns of long‑term fund erosion; summer construction work estimated under $1M
Summary
Director of business services Beth Munson presented a Baird budget model showing a projected 36% fund balance and a small $200,000 surplus next year, but cautioned the district could drop to single‑digit reserves without further planning; staff said summer construction work is estimated at about $960,009.66 and could start June 8.
Beth Munson, the district's director of business services, presented an updated Baird budget model and told the fiscal management committee that the district expects to finish the current year with a fund balance near 36% and is projecting a small surplus (about $200,000) for the following year.
"What you will notice in that document that you got is the blue column is the current year...we are projecting at least very early on budget, a tiny little surplus, about a $200,000 surplus," Munson said. She stressed that while the recent referendum provided immediate relief, continued planning is necessary to avoid long‑term erosion of reserves.
Munson set out assumptions the model uses for upcoming years, including a $3.25 per‑pupil revenue‑limit increase, a 10% annual rise in health‑insurance costs and a 3% CPI increase to salaries. "We are in single digit fund balance without doing anything," she warned, urging sustained planning and alignment of resources to district priorities.
On capital work, staff reported progress on summer projects and contractor negotiations. The administration said it had a GMP proposal from JP Cullen and was finalizing insurance and contract redlines; staff estimated three cost buckets and contingencies at about $960,009.66, below earlier estimates near $1.2 million. Committee members were told work is expected to begin after school on June 8.
The committee agreed to put the construction contract and related budget items on the full school board agenda for Monday and to finalize the contract once the district's insurance review and any contractual redlines are resolved.
The presentation was informational; no final appropriation or binding vote was taken at the meeting. Munson said staff will return with refined projections and specific contract language for board consideration.
