KALAMAZOO, MI (WKZO AM/FM) – The Kalamazoo Public Schools board has unanimously approved their budget for the next school year.
All they can do now is wait and see if the state provides enough money to pay for it.
Finance director Laura Kayser says one concern is their fund balance, which is the amount they keep in reserve to cover emergencies and maintain educational programs should there be an economic downturn or cuts in state funding.
“Federal program funding cuts, unexpected decreases in enrollment, unprecedented school building issues or weather events.”
It also helps them get through the fall until their first checks arrive from Lansing.
“We don’t receive our first payment of the fiscal year until October and so especially in the fall our cash is lower than it would be throughout the year,” says Kayser.
Their current rainy day fund is lower than most other school districts are able to maintain.
“Our 2025-26 percentage is projected to be 20.81%, and the state average being 25.47%.”
Right now, the school aid budget has become one of several political footballs being batted around by Republicans and Democrats in the legislature.
The budget can and will probably be modified later, depending on how things go. They say their goal is to minimize the negative impact it has on student learning.
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