2026-27 budget spends $1.9 million more than it takes in as enrollment slips

What happened

The 2026-27 budget adopted on June 15, 2026 plans $50.9 million in spending and $49.0 million in revenue. Savings (fund balance) would fall to $8.2 million, down from $10.0 million in June 2025. The budget counts on about 2,679 students, down from 2,821 in 2024-25. Money from the county for special education drops by $800,000.

Why it matters to families

Savings help a district handle surprises like enrollment drops or state cuts. Waverly's savings would shrink to 16.3% of spending, down from 21.9%. Its own forecast shows savings near $5.2 million by mid-2029 if nothing changes. That could mean cuts or hard choices later.

The evidence

2026-2027 General Fund Budget (June 15, 2026): total revenue $48,995,229; total expenditures $50,527,158; projected change in fund balance ($1,881,928); net change after 1.5% expected underspending ($1,124,021); fund balance end of year $8,211,490 (16.3%) vs $10,043,259 (21.9%) at end of 2024-25. Intergovernmental (ISD SE allocation/Medicaid) $4,177,157 vs $4,977,157. Blended enrollment 2,679 vs 2,821 actual 2024-25. Multi-year forecast beginning balance FY2029-30: $5,153,490.

The source