Mill A School District staff warn of small budget shortfall as enrollment lags

Superintendent Kelly Stickel told the Mill A School District board on Monday that preliminary 2026–27 budget figures show a small deficit and several funding items still in flux.

Stickel, presenting the district’s budget snapshot, said the district currently projects 36 students in K–8 and 18 at PCIA, below last year’s forecast, and noted a 15-student-per-classroom cap that is keeping some families on a wait list. "Enrollment projections are foundational to budget accuracy and are being finalized," Stickel said.

The presentation showed payroll and benefit vouchers totaling $162,816.71 and regular vouchers of $30,147.22; staff flagged an initial projected shortfall of $22,282 and said the general fund shortfall would be about $222,000 if the board elects to transfer an additional $200,000 into capital funds. Kristen, the budget lead referenced in the presentation, estimated a working deficit of about $31,000 on current assumptions.

Stickel and the board discussed key revenue risks, including state-title funding and the Learning Assistance Program (LAP), both of which staff said have changed timelines and application rules this cycle. Stickel said the state’s implicit price deflator (IPD) of 2.6% is built into revenue estimates but cautioned that the district’s real costs frequently exceed those adjustments.

Board members pressed for more detail on which grants and line items drive the variance; Stickel said staff are working line-by-line and will bring more definite numbers to the next budget meeting. The board set a tentative budget workshop for the evening of Monday, May 11, to allow time for refinements before the May 18 regular meeting.

The presentation did not include final votes on budget adjustments. Staff said any transfers or formal budget decisions would be returned to the board for action at a future public meeting.