We are beginning the process to develop our budget for the 2025-26 school year.
Our budget development process is guided by our core priorities: ensuring equity in resource allocation, meeting the needs of every student, and maintaining long-term financial health.
The School Board participated in a work session on the budget development process on Wednesday, December 11.
As we shared in October, student enrollment is higher than projected. This marks the first year since 2018 where enrollment has not decreased.
Enrollment numbers directly impact our state funding and are a critical component of our budget planning. We will continue working with our demographer to refine enrollment projections for the next school year, ensuring they align with current trends and needs.
We eliminated $8 million from our district budget for the 2024-25 school year. Thanks to steady enrollment and previous budget reductions, we do not anticipate the need for additional reductions in the 2025-26 budget.
However, we will continue to track legislative funding as we face ongoing fiscal challenges, including underfunding for special education and transportation, as well as rising costs for utilities, insurance and salaries.
We are committed to keeping staff, families, and community informed throughout this process. Be on the lookout for a ThoughtExchange in January to provide your feedback on the budget development process. We will also share updates on our website and email newsletters.