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Teachers and residents warn of enrollment losses, call for reinvestment as board debates budget
Summary
Public commenters and some board members urged the district to use reserves to preserve programs and stop families from leaving; commenters cited a high reserve percentage and reductions in course sections as reasons for concern.
Several public commenters used the board's June 3 meeting to warn that program cuts and perceived underinvestment are driving families away from the district.
Teacher and parent Amy Wright said she knows multiple families actively planning to educate their children elsewhere and cited a decline in course offerings: "We have gone from 43 sections of high school math 8 years ago to 26 sections next year," she said, pressing the board to prioritize student programs. Wright also said she found the district's reserve percentage at roughly 53.5% and questioned why savings were not being used to retain programs; trustees and administration said they would clarify reserve accounting outside the meeting.
A resident and farmer, Calvin Hunsinger, urged the board to act on consolidation and warned that preserved farmland and a shrinking tax base pressure long-term finances. A separate public speaker described the county agricultural-preservation program and cited roughly 76—79 preserved properties and some 6,200 acres inside the district.
Board members thanked speakers and asked administration to supply more precise reserve and enrollment data to aid policymaking.
