The South Summit School District Board of Education’s first look at initial budget estimates for fiscal year 2027 show a rise in both revenue and expenses.
The Kamas Valley district estimates property tax growth and state funding will bring in about $502,000 in new revenue for the year.
Business Administrator Adam Robinson told board members Monday, expenses projected at more than $670,000 may surpass that.
“This is my first assessment of where I think we're going to come in at,” he said. “It’s going to be close.”
Required employee raises will increase costs by about $270,000. Dental and health insurance costs have also climbed by 3% and 8% respectively.
“It costs us about $200K for the increased cost to our health insurance, and then, you know, $2,500 ish for our dental increase,” Robinson said.
To save money, Robinson said a full-time and part-time position at Silver Summit Academy is being eliminated, saving about $164,000. Building maintenance budget reductions will save another $421,000 and a retiring administrator won’t be replaced, saving about $184,000.
Superintendent Greg Maughan said the administrator is one of 11 employees retiring this year, many of whom spent decades with the district. Ten of those positions have already been refilled.
“Some of the people I've talked to … they're hitting that age of retirement and they have the years and they're wanting to enjoy life while they are feeling young and spry still,” he said on KPCW’s “Local New Hour” May 12.
The preliminary revenue-to-cost comparison comes out to around $602,000 for now. Robinson is also looking for additional cost savings, including postponing the construction of new tennis courts, which would preserve $1.3 million.
With those money-saving measures, the district doesn’t plan to increase taxes.
More concrete numbers will be presented to the board at their next meeting June 8. A budget hearing is scheduled for June 22.
