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Board approves South Whidbey School District 2026–27 budget after debate over special-education and staffing plans
Summary
The South Whidbey School District board approved the 2026–27 budget after discussion about adding a special-education director and a temporary assistant principal; the district plans to use some fund balance while keeping reserves above policy minimums.
The South Whidbey School District board on Monday approved the 2026–27 budget, adopting Memorandum 25-26-39 and Resolution 707 after a public hearing and board discussion about staffing and fund-balance use.
Mister Field, the presenter for the district's budget update, told the board the presentation included only minor changes from the prior briefing: modest levy increases, a corrected levy calculation coordinated with the educational service district, and an adjusted beginning fund balance tied to a revised bus depreciation schedule. He said those updates flow through the budget documents and that the district has budgeted some positions that are not yet filled to allow faster hiring if enrollment increases.
Wendy Clinton, board member, pressed for detail on how the newly budgeted special-education director position would be funded and whether the district was repeatedly relying on fund balance. "I don't want that to be continued activities. We just dip in for that new position," Clinton said, asking whether the district had trimmed elsewhere to cover the hire.
Mister Field answered that the budget uses more fund balance in appearance but remains above the district's safety policy; he said the ending fund balance would be about 14% if all planned uses were expended and that the district historically budgets a planned use of fund balance between about $800,000 and $1.2 million but has largely broken even in recent years. "We are making an investment this year" in special education, he added, noting retirements and conservative enrollment assumptions factor into the approach.
Dr. Clifford, superintendent, added that the assistant-principal position at the elementary level is currently designated temporary because of enrollment uncertainty, and that a portion of that role's duties will be funded through bond construction oversight, reducing the net impact on general funds.
The student representative offered an advisory abstention on the budget. The full board approved Memorandum 25-26-39 by voice vote; no opposing ayes were recorded during the meeting.
What happens next: The board moved on to other agenda items and announced the executive-session schedule; no further procedural steps on the budget were listed in public business.
