District finance chief warns board about swings in state ADMw and poverty-weighted funding

The district finance lead reported that state estimates used to calculate per-student funding showed a shift in poverty-weighted ADMw numbers that could reduce revenue in the 2025–26 biennium. "As of March 5... our students in poverty went from 123 to 57, so you can see that's a loss of 15 ADMW," the presenter said while walking trustees through the state estimate slides; he noted the district will be held harmless for the current year but that future funding depends on corrected or updated ODE calculations and potential legislative decisions about caps.

The presentation covered several technical points: ODE issues preliminary estimates that districts use for budgeting, some programs utilize school- or grade-specific ADM counts, and the district is evaluating impacts to special-education grants and SIA. The finance lead recommended vigilance during budget season and noted potential legislative changes (a proposed 15% cap under discussion) that could affect funding. Board members asked clarifying questions about the composition of the calculations and the schedule for final numbers; administration said they'll continue to monitor ODE updates and report back.