District staff propose 3.3% combined raise amid $12.9M gap; charter enrollment projections cited as risk

District finance staff presented a preliminary budget that proposes a roughly 1.7% cost-of-living increase and average step movement that together equal about a 3.3% average compensation increase for staff, and laid out key assumptions and risks.

Key points
- Pay proposal: a 1.7% COLA with average step movement yields roughly a 3.3% average increase in total pay expense across the payroll.
- Insurance: the budget covers roughly half of a projected TISA (medical) increase; staff characterized this as a large ongoing cost driver.
- Projected shortfall: the draft budget shows a $12.9 million projected deficit, much of which reflects projected charter-school enrollment and the district''''''''''s obligation to fund the local portion of maintenance-of-effort tied to projected ADM.
- Positions: nine new district positions were requested (including two nurses, transportation, maintenance, a purchasing clerk and a middle-school athletic trainer tied to new facility openings).

Why it matters
Staff explained that charter-school growth and projection assumptions create budget uncertainty: the district must budget conservatively for projected enrollment changes but may receive a later true-up if enrollments fall below projections. Finance staff highlighted the timing constraints of passing a budget while awaiting final reappraisal revenue numbers.

Follow-up
Staff said they will continue to refine revenues and projections and coordinate with county officials on maintenance-of-effort expectations. Board members asked for more detail on the charter-related line items and requested updated revenue estimates when the county''''''' final reappraisal numbers are available.

Quoted
"Right now, we are at a deficit of 12.9," the finance presentation said, noting that about $9.5 million of that relates to students already enrolled and $3 million stems from projections.

Ending
Staff will update the board with final revenue figures and adjusted projections prior to final budget adoption and will provide additional detail on how charter-school enrollment scenarios affect the district's fiscal plan.