Board hears second budget amendment showing new mental-health grant and projected surplus
March 20, 2026 | Waterford School District, School Boards, Michigan
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Assistant Superintendent Hildebrandt and Amy Dagenhart presented the Waterford School District second budget amendment for 2025-26, describing revenue updates, restricted grant awards and expense adjustments that together produce a projected surplus for the fiscal year.
Hildebrandt told trustees the state aid count used for aid calculations is 6,678 students (a decline of about 55.71 full-time-equivalent students from spring); the district recognized a 31aa student safety and mental health allocation just under $2,500,000 (the original budget had $835,000 in that category). The district also recorded a k-5 curriculum materials grant of just under $640,000 and other federal and categorical grants. Hildebrandt said many of the larger increases were one-time monies and will not recur in the forthcoming fiscal year.
On the expense side, administrators said they offset some costs by accounting for unfilled or underfilled positions; fringe benefits decreased in part because of those vacancies. The amendment also built in $985,000 tied to 27l educator compensation allocations and allowances for increased minimum wage and open-enrollment health-care impacts. When rolled up, the second amendment shows a projected general fund surplus of about $994,000 and an estimated fund balance of roughly 14.5% by year-end, above the originally projected drawdown.
Trustees asked clarifying questions: Member Patricia said the board should keep pursuing the target 15% reserve; Member Donahue raised concerns about filling underfilled positions and the staffing needs of students. Trustee McGregor asked for plain-language explanations of abbreviations such as 31aa and 27l; Hildebrandt explained 31aa is restricted for student safety and mental health and 27l was a nonrecurring educator-compensation allocation from the state.
The budget amendment served as background for later formal action: the board adopted a resolution in the meeting authorizing revised appropriations (see votes at a glance).
Hildebrandt told trustees the state aid count used for aid calculations is 6,678 students (a decline of about 55.71 full-time-equivalent students from spring); the district recognized a 31aa student safety and mental health allocation just under $2,500,000 (the original budget had $835,000 in that category). The district also recorded a k-5 curriculum materials grant of just under $640,000 and other federal and categorical grants. Hildebrandt said many of the larger increases were one-time monies and will not recur in the forthcoming fiscal year.
On the expense side, administrators said they offset some costs by accounting for unfilled or underfilled positions; fringe benefits decreased in part because of those vacancies. The amendment also built in $985,000 tied to 27l educator compensation allocations and allowances for increased minimum wage and open-enrollment health-care impacts. When rolled up, the second amendment shows a projected general fund surplus of about $994,000 and an estimated fund balance of roughly 14.5% by year-end, above the originally projected drawdown.
Trustees asked clarifying questions: Member Patricia said the board should keep pursuing the target 15% reserve; Member Donahue raised concerns about filling underfilled positions and the staffing needs of students. Trustee McGregor asked for plain-language explanations of abbreviations such as 31aa and 27l; Hildebrandt explained 31aa is restricted for student safety and mental health and 27l was a nonrecurring educator-compensation allocation from the state.
The budget amendment served as background for later formal action: the board adopted a resolution in the meeting authorizing revised appropriations (see votes at a glance).
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