Superintendent Michael Barnes and budget staff opened the FY 2026 budget work sessions at the Jan. 16 meeting, presenting the superintendents proposed operating budget framework and a schedule for subsequent divisional presentations and public questions.

The superintendents proposed operating budget totals about $1.219 billion, an increase of roughly $74.3 million (6.5%) over FY 2025. The superintendents request combines expected state revenue growth with an above-maintenance-of-effort (above-MOE) county request. Staff said the proposal does not rely on unassigned fund balance and recommends transferring $7 million from the Technology Services Fund to help offset the loss of $15.1 million in one-time resources used in FY 2025.

Key points from the overview by Chief Financial Officer Brian Hall and Executive Director of Budget Darren Conforti:

- Total requested new revenue: $74.3 million (6.5%) over FY 2025. The superintendent proposed to fund recurring needs with $67.1 million in above-MOE county funding, an estimated $24.8 million increase in state aid (state file preliminary), and a $7 million Technology Services Fund transfer.

- The budget does not recommend staffing reductions and proposes a net addition of 68.1 full-time-equivalent positions, including new positions for special education and school safety. The proposal also reallocates certain centrally-budgeted employee-benefit costs into program budgets for greater transparency and to meet new reporting guidance.

- Major priorities include employee compensation (marker of $33.8 million subject to bargaining outcomes), increased investment in special education (about $5.9 million and roughly 35 positions), continued funding to replace expiring federal pandemic-relief uses (approximately $4.5 million with associated 9.5 positions primarily for summer programming), and enhanced student-transportation funding (marker of $2.3 million for benefit costs and a $6.8 million transportation increase included under commitments). The budget also includes a proposed increase in health insurance costs (actuarial estimate) and other contractual commitments.

- The work-session schedule: staff will present Division of Operations and transportation information next week, the Division of Academics and Special Education at the following meeting, then the Division of Schools, and later Equity and Innovation and financial management. Board questions will be submitted in advance to the internal auditor, who will coordinate responses for posting before and during work sessions.

Ending: Board members asked for clarifications about county revenue projections and the effect of small enrollment changes on staffing ratios; staff said they will provide detailed program-level costings, school-by-school analyses where requested, and updated state aid numbers after the governors budget and the state aid file are finalized.