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Superintendent: PERS spike, enrollment shifts put pressure on Cascade budget
Summary
Superintendent Mr. Drill told the board the district faces steep PERS cost increases — including a $2.1 million single‑year jump — and described use of a PERS reserve, enrollment changes and a multi‑year glide‑path to manage finances.
Superintendent Mr. Drill told the Cascade School Board that preparing the 2026–27 budget will dominate the district’s work and that rising retirement costs are a critical driver of fiscal stress.
"Our cost for PERS increased $2,100,000 just by going from June 30 to July 1," Drill said, characterizing PERS as the primary factor outpacing recent state revenue increases. He described a PERS side account the district is drawing down to smooth the transition, warned that those offsets are scheduled to run out in roughly two decades, and said the district is pursuing careful, incremental reductions across programs to avoid sharp cuts.
Drill also outlined short‑term enrollment trends — Cascade is about 30 students larger than last year — and noted the district receives about $11,200 per student, linking enrollment shifts to budget pressures. He urged continued planning to slow the district’s approach to what he described as an inevitable budget cliff.
