This November, residents of the Jackson County Central School District will once again have the opportunity to vote on an operating referendum. As we prepare for that important decision, we want to provide our community with clear information about the district's financial situation, the budget adjustments that have already been made, and why additional operating revenue remains an important need.
After the operating referendum was not approved by voters last November, the district took immediate steps to reduce spending while continuing to provide a high-quality education for our students. During the spring, the School Board approved more than $550,000 in budget adjustments for the 2026-27 school year. These reductions were made only after careful review and thoughtful discussion, recognizing that every decision would have an impact on students, staff, and families.
The district's financial challenges continue to be driven by several factors, including declining enrollment, increasing health insurance costs, new state-paid medical leave requirements, declining compensatory and special education revenues, and additional state mandates that are not fully funded. Approximately 70 percent of a school district's budget is dedicated to employee salaries and benefits, making staffing reductions especially difficult but often necessary.
The approved budget adjustments affected many areas of district operations. Staffing changes included reductions in several elementary teaching positions, a high school social studies position, a portion of the high school choir program, physical education, middle school staffing, library paraprofessional support, and the school resource officer position.
The district also reduced expenditures by:
Reducing classroom and departmental supply budgets.
Limiting administrator travel and overnight conferences.
Reducing extended contracts.
Scaling back selected technology and curriculum resources.
Making reductions in athletics and activities, including fewer assistant coaching positions, changes to transportation, and reductions in several extracurricular programs.
These were difficult decisions that were made only after careful consideration of the district's educational priorities.
In addition to reducing expenditures, the district also identified opportunities to increase local revenue in an effort to lessen the impact of budget reductions. These changes included:
Transportation fees for students living within state non-transportation limits.
Increases to certain high school class fees.
Modest increases in activity participation fees.
An increase in annual adult activity passes.
A seasonal fee for students utilizing the after-school activity bus.
While these changes helped offset a portion of the district's financial challenges, they generated only a small amount of additional revenue compared to the overall budget needs.
Even after implementing more than half a million dollars in budget adjustments, the district's long-term financial challenges remain. Last year's revised budget projected a deficit of approximately $706,000, and current projections continue to show enrollment declines over the coming years. At the same time, costs continue to rise while state funding has not kept pace with inflation or increasing educational mandates. In June, the school board approved the preliminary budget for the 2026-27 school year that showed continued deficit spending of $418,000, even after the adjustments have been made.
It is important to note that the current operating levy of $460 per student remains in place but is scheduled to expire during the 2027-28 school year. Last November's referendum would have replaced that levy with a new 10-year operating levy to provide more stable funding for the future. Because that question was not approved, the district continues to face significant financial challenges.
The Jackson County Central School District is committed to providing factual, transparent information so community members can make an informed decision when they vote this November.
We encourage all residents to attend upcoming community information sessions:
Monday, October 5 at the JCC Middle School at 6:00 pm
Thursday, October 8 at the JCC High School at 6:00 pm
Also review the information available on the district website, and ask questions. Together, we can ensure every voter has the information needed to make an informed decision about the future of Jackson County Central Schools.