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Laurel School District moves forward with Feb. 9 referendum after superintendent calls for $1.6M to stabilize budget
Summary
Superintendent urged voters to approve a current‑expense referendum to stabilize rising payroll, benefits and technology costs and to fund a proposed 7% pay increase; the board set the referendum date for Feb. 9, 2026 and approved issuing formal notice of a special election.
The Laurel School District board voted to set a special election for Monday, Feb. 9, 2026, after the superintendent outlined a plan asking voters to approve a current‑expense referendum to shore up the district’s operating budget. The superintendent told the board, “The total we’re asking for is $1,600,000,” and framed the measure as a way to stabilize pay, preserve student technology and strengthen safety and security.
The superintendent said the district faces sustained cost pressures — rising payroll and benefits, inflation, and growth in mandated services for students with disabilities and English learners. He proposed a five‑year plan that would add a 5% inflation factor annually and include a 7% incentive pay increase for all staff, saying the raise would cost roughly $600,000 over five years. He also cited the loss of one‑time federal "asset" (COVID) funds used for the 1:1 Chromebook program and said the district still needs about $218,000 annually to sustain technology and roughly $200,000 for safety and security.
To illustrate household impact, the superintendent used an example of an average assessed home value of $230,527 and said district calculations and an online estimator (to be posted on the district website) would let residents compute the local tax effect. He described an estimated change in the district’s current‑expense rate and said the referendum would move the district toward a multi‑year stabilization so the board would not have to seek similar increases again for several years.
At the meeting the board approved a resolution to proceed with the referendum and voted to publish the notice of special election. Board members recorded their approvals on roll calls after discussion; the board also directed staff to post explanatory materials online and to hold additional public information meetings ahead of the vote.
What happens next: the district will post the online estimator and outreach materials, hold public meetings and return to voters on Feb. 9, 2026. The board recorded the motion to set the referendum date and carried the resolution to issue notice of special election during the same business session.
Quotes from the meeting are taken from the superintendent’s remarks to the board and public.
