APS board hears budget impact of enrollment decline; approves calendars, grants and adjustments

Board members received a detailed budget briefing on April 15 explaining how the State Equalization Guarantee (SEG) and prior‑year enrollment drive district funding. District finance leaders said enrollment losses translated into a significant revenue gap.

“We declined in enrollment by 2,560 students from last year to this year,” said David Vigil, executive director of budget and strategic planning, noting a back‑of‑envelope estimate that that decline produces roughly $43 million less in SEG funding for the district’s operating budget. Chief officers reiterated that salaries and benefits account for more than 85% of operating spending.

Board discussion focused on what those enrollment‑driven funding changes mean for staffing and school budgets. Trustees asked the district to provide school‑level disaggregated data, counts of teacher and educational‑assistant FTEs affected and correlations between Goal 4 gains and measures like discipline and attendance. Finance staff said those student‑level and school‑level visualizations are available and will be provided.

On actions, the board moved several items during the meeting:
• Agenda adoption (motion carried; roll‑call vote: Rebecca Betson, Joshua Martinez, Heather Benavides, Maurecia Bowman, Courtney Jackson, Reynaldo Tomorito — all Yes).
• Approval of March 18 and March 26 minutes (vote carried; roll call recorded Yes by the same members).
• Approval of the 2027–28 instructional and CCHS calendars (motion passed on roll‑call vote; staff reported ~18,000 survey respondents with roughly 80% favoring Calendar A).
• Approval of the bilingual multicultural education FY26–27 funding application (motion passed).
• Approval of grant budget adjustments for three funds, including IDIB and Impact Aid special‑education increases (motion passed).

District financial staff also briefed the board on an approved general obligation bond sale (principal not to exceed $87.5 million) and a planned refunding of 2017 bonds; the district’s adviser estimated current market rates would place new‑money interest near 4% and refunding rates near 3.33%, with an estimated roughly $2.7 million in interest savings for the refunding under current conditions.

Next steps: staff will provide the board with requested disaggregated school‑level budget and staffing data and continue budget work leading to statutory submission deadlines. The board’s next regular meeting is May 6, 2026.