The DCS Board of Education adopted the proposed budget for the 2026–2027 school year, as presented by Assistant Superintendent of Management Services Jeffrey Rivenburg, at its meeting Tuesday night, April 21.
The meeting was livestreamed and is available to watch on demand on the District’s YouTube channel. Mr. Rivenburg’s budget presentation begins at the 1:01:15 mark. His slide presentation is available here and is also included in the meeting agenda posted on BoardDocs.
The community is invited to hear a budget presentation at 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, May 5 in Joe Bena Hall.
Budget VOTE Tuesday, May 19
POLLS OPEN 1-9 P.M. AT DCS TRANSPORTATION BUILDING
Proposal maintains all programming and staff; stays under tax levy limit
Voters will head to the polls on Tuesday, May 19 to consider a proposed $22,998,000 spending plan for the 2026-27 school year that maintains all staff, programming, extracurriculars, athletics and field trips for the 2026-2027 school year. Polls will be open from 1 to 9 p.m. at the DCS Transportation Building.
The proposal calls for a 2.90% ($268,758) tax levy increase – just below the district’s tax levy limit, or “cap.” The district will use $1,396,365 from fund balance and $150,000 from reserves to balance the budget.
The proposed budget reflects an 11.18% ($2,312,000) increase in overall spending; however, it is important to understand the factors driving this change. The majority of the increase is attributable to rising mandated costs needed to sustain current programs and services, including health insurance, property and liability insurance, special education, contractual salary obligations, and higher utility and fuel expenses.
Another contributing factor is the renewal of a bond supporting ongoing work within the Centennial capital projects. While this renewal increases annual expenditures, it is largely offset by a significant increase in state building aid the district will receive next year from earlier phases of the Centennial project. This aid is specifically designated to help cover annual bond payments, reducing the financial impact on local taxpayers.
State aid remains the largest source of revenue for the district (49.5%). Most state aid comes in the form of Foundation Aid, which is projected to increase by just 1% ($54,485) – a smaller-than-anticipated increase.
The spending plan includes funding for three new positions: a teacher’s aide to supervise in-school suspension and assist with hall monitoring at the Jr.-Sr. HS; a special education teacher to manage a new 8:1:2 classroom at DES, reducing costly out-of-district placements; and an additional transportation staff member to serve as a full-time mechanic’s helper and bus driver.
“We knew this would be a challenging year to develop a balanced budget, given rising costs of non-discretionary expenses. Because our district is in a strong financial position due to strategic long-range planning, we were able to utilize a larger portion of reserves and fund balance to offset insufficient Foundation Aid that has not kept pace with rising costs. That said, this is not a sustainable long-term strategy,” said Superintendent of Schools Kimberly Ross.
“In these challenging times, we continue to prioritize opportunities for our students and retaining staff. Our district remains closely attuned to the needs of our students and families and is able to respond with a responsible and strategic approach to ensure dollars are directed where they have the greatest impact on student learning and well-being.”