Board adopts FY27 preliminary budget; superintendent given conditional authority to order buses if surplus appears

The Bemidji Public School District board approved the FY27 preliminary operating budget after a presentation from Ashley Eastridge, the districts finance director, who outlined revenue assumptions, projected enrollment declines and planned reductions.

Eastridge said enrollment is projected to fall (an estimated 2.37% decline by fiscal-year 26 end and an additional projected 2.13% for fiscal-year 27), and that compensatory revenue is projected to decline by about $382,000 because of state formula changes. She reported a projected general-fund surplus of $247,880 for FY27 but said that surplus depends on temporary measures and that ongoing structural reductions will be required.

To meet targets the budget includes $1,982,000 in payroll reductions, fund chargebacks of $224,000, and postponement of long-range plan purchases totaling $720,500 (including $450,500 in postponed curriculum purchases and $270,000 in postponed transportation/fleet replacements). Eastridge said new "achievement and integration" revenue approved by MDE adds roughly $360,000 of additional revenue for FY27.

Superintendent Jeremy Olsen asked the board to authorize him, conditionally, to add back $270,000 for bus replacement in March if monthly tracking indicates the district is on track to maintain the projected surplus. Olsen said timeliness is important for buying used buses and that delaying purchases can shift costs and inspection risk to future administrations. The board approved the preliminary budget and the requested authority as part of the motion.

The board adopted the budget by voice vote. No detailed roll-call vote tally was recorded in the transcript for this item.

Why it matters: Personnel costs account for roughly 80% of the operating budget; decisions about deferred curriculum purchases and fleet replacement affect classroom resources and transportation reliability, and the temporary measures noted by officials will require long-term structural solutions.

Clarity note: Several figures are projections and subject to state formula finalization; the finance director indicated the district used recent legislative runs as the working assumption for the FY27 formula allowance.