Board doubles spending allowed without a budget line, to $10,000

What happened

On September 21, 2026 the board approved amended financial policies. The agenda says the change raises spending authority from $5,000 to $10,000 for items not in the approved budget. The same night the finance committee reviewed year-end FY 2026 results.

Why it matters to families

Staff can now make larger purchases outside the approved budget without a separate board vote, so fewer of these purchases will show up in board minutes.

The evidence

The September 21, 2026 agenda lists "Financial Policy Update - Approval to update financial policies to increase spending authority from $5000 to $10,000 for non-budget-approved line items." The board minutes record a unanimous vote approving the amended financial policies. The finance committee minutes say Pataula "ended the year 10% over budget," while the board minutes say it "ended the year within 10% of budget."

The source