Trustees ask to add legal-category to financial monitoring; bond committee says 2016 projects nearly complete, 2024 program under way

Board members on Aug. 11 asked staff to include a standalone legal category in the executive-limits (EL 2.6) financial monitoring report so trustees can see legal spending alongside other budget lines. Director Shandy (board president) and Director Wilburn raised the item while reviewing the district's financial monitoring packet.

"All of these categories are included, it's just that one that is not," President Shandy said, requesting legal be added as a tracked line item. Deputy Becky Allen and other staff explained that legal fees often post to different departmental budgets (special education, HR, facilities) and that a September report will include a more comprehensive reconciliation.

At the monthly finance review, staff explained a midyear budget projection had expected the district to consume about $13.4 million of unassigned fund balance for fiscal 2024-25; preliminary year-end accounting showed a consumption closer to $5.2 million, a difference largely explained by lower-than-budgeted salary expenditures. District staff said salary underspending accounted for roughly $7.8 million of the difference and cautioned that the numbers were still being finalized as year-end accounting continued.

The Citizens Bond Oversight Committee (CBOC) reported that projects authorized by the 2016 bond are essentially complete and that the remaining balance is expected to be reconciled and reallocated at midyear. David Brockway, a longtime CBOC member, said the 2016 bond is about 99.8% expended with roughly $2.2 million unencumbered; staff said any remaining funds will be moved per audit and reconciliations. For the 2024 bond program, the first tranche was funded this year and early work and "soft costs" (surveys, geotechnical services) are under way. Brockway told trustees about initial work at Rampart High School and other projects and said roughly 7% of the 2024 bond funds had been expended as of the report.

Trustees praised the CBOC and project staff for completing the 2016 work and for promptly starting 2024 projects. Director Wilburn asked a clarifying question about document-scanning costs that remain unspent and was told the scanning scope had been completed and some budget remained unneeded.

Ending: Trustees asked staff to add a legal spending line or tagging method to future EL 2.6 monitoring reports and to provide the September comprehensive reconciliation; the CBOC will meet again in October to report on 2024-bond project progress.