$10M override needed to avoid a budget shortfall

What happened

At the budget public hearing, the Mayor told the committee the district's preferred budget grows spending $6.7 million over this year, uses $6.2 million in reserves for FY27, and still leaves an estimated $7.7 million deficit in FY28. Covering that gap would take at least a $10 million property-tax override.

Why it matters to families

Without new revenue from an override, the district could run out of reserves within two years, forcing deeper cuts than families have seen so far.

The evidence

The March 23, 2026 minutes record the Mayor stating the strong budget increases spending by $6.7 million, uses a projected $6.2 million in reserves for FY27, creates an estimated $7.7 million deficit in FY28, and would require a $10 million override at minimum to cover it.

The source