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South Burlington schools ask voters to approve 3.4% budget and move $2.5M to capital reserve
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Joe Clark presented a FY2027 school budget increase of about 3.4% (roughly $74 million) with roughly $1.8-$1.9 million in reductions, mostly at central office; the board also proposes using a $2.5 million unassigned fund balance to seed a capital-improvement reserve (voter approval required).
Dr. Joe Clark, superintendent of South Burlington Public Schools, presented the school district's FY2027 budget proposals and a separate ballot question on March 2. Clark said the board placed a 3.4% budget increase on the ballot (about $74 million) after identifying nearly $1.8-$1.9 million in reductions, largely at central office.
"Fiscal year 27 budget is $74,000,000. That is a 3.4%, increase," Clark said. He told attendees that the board's reductions include not filling several central-office leadership positions (communications director, technology director, director of student support services) and that district nursing staff would be reduced from eight to six, which Clark said remains above the state guideline. Clark warned that state funding assumptions could still change and that a worst-case school-tax impact could be about 8.76% depending on state-level actions.
Clark also described a $2.5 million unassigned fund balance from FY2025 that the board is asking voters to place in a capital-improvement reserve. He said by law that transfer requires voter approval and that funds in the reserve would be subject to future board approval before spending. Clark and board members answered questions about how the unassigned balance arose and how per-pupil figures are calculated; officials said some follow-up data would be provided after the hearing.
