RSU 16 flags transportation and athletics costs as pressures in FY27 budget

Transportation and athletics-related costs featured in committee discussion as staff worked through article lines for FY27.

Transportation: Amy explained a painstaking review of trips and per-mile cost calculations after last year’s transportation budget overran by about $146,000; John (transportation staff referenced during the meeting) supplies per-mile cost figures used to predict trip fuel and driver costs. Don said the district has sometimes contracted buses or vans when it lacked drivers to get teams to events, and the budget includes a modest increase in contracted-services lines to reflect ongoing driver shortages.

Athletics and officials: Don and other administrators described increases in purchase-professional-services lines tied to officiating costs (matters negotiated through the officials’ association). Some cooperative teams require the district to share coach/official costs; those cooperative arrangements and the addition of programs have raised stipend and officials lines modestly.

Committee direction: The committee asked transportation staff to present trip-cost detail and to continue using per-mile costing to reduce surprises; travel and officials lines were presented for tentative agreement pending ratified stipend contract outcomes.