Murray School District adopts FY2025–26 revised budget, approves FY2026–27 budget and certified tax-rate process

The Murray City School District board adopted a revised fiscal-year 2025–26 budget and approved the district’s proposed FY2026–27 budget during a statutorily required public hearing on June 11.

Business administrator Richard Ree presented the budget and described statutory steps for adoption under Utah law, saying the district has met public-notice and posting requirements and will set a certified tax rate once Salt Lake County finalizes taxable-value numbers. ‘‘We have met all the legal requirements, so we’re good to go that way,’’ Ree said during the presentation.

Why it matters: school budgets determine staffing, programs and capital planning for the coming year. Ree told the board the preliminary total taxable value reported to the district was about $7.49 billion (adjusted to roughly $7.68 billion for collection-rate assumptions) and that the district is not proposing a property-tax increase this year. He also said there is $96 million of new growth value and that certified-rate mechanics mean existing-property value increases do not automatically generate additional recurring revenue.

The board heard that salaries and benefits make up roughly 88% of general-fund spending, and that declining enrollment required hiring three fewer teachers next year, handled through attrition rather than layoffs. State funding actions included a reduction of 134 WPUs; the legislature provided a 1.25% cost-of-living adjustment and a $311 supplement to teachers as noted by staff.

Ree summarized fund-level effects: a projected net operating deficit of about $363,000 in the current-year revised budget and a total anticipated reduction in fund balance of just under $1 million, though he said the district budgets conservatively and does not necessarily expect to exhaust reserves.

The board moved and approved a resolution to adopt the revised FY2025–26 budget, approve the FY2026–27 proposed budget and to accept the certified tax-rate process once the Salt Lake County auditor sets the final rate. The motion passed by voice vote as recorded in the meeting transcript; a roll-call tally was not specified in the record.

Looking ahead: staff said they will continue to monitor the food-service fund (noting an operating deficit and steps to increase participation), capital spending tied to voter-approved bonds, and the final certified tax rate when county figures are posted.