After a financial roller coaster of a year, the Indian River School District may be able to avoid again asking voters to approve a referendum.
The district went to voters twice last year to ask for a tax increase to fund its operations. Both times, voters rejected the measure. That led to reductions in force for the district.
While the district’s financial future remains uncertain, the district’s new Finance Director, Christopher Parker, told the Board of Education it can avoid going back to the voters this fiscal year - if the district can adhere to an especially austere preliminary budget.
“We can make it through this year without a referendum. It will be tight, but the numbers suggest we can do it," he said.
The preliminary budget Parker presented for next year is actually lower than last year’s by around $1.7 million, or 0.7%. But even with last year’s cuts and a dramatically skinny budget, a referendum is going to be necessary - eventually.
“With rising costs for utilities, supplies, and other expenses, we will need another operating referendum passed before June of 2027, or we'll be forced to make additional reductions," he said.
Parker applauded board members for making the tough decision to approve reductions in force in the wake of the two referendum failures.
“The numbers indicate that it was the right decision to make in order for us to continue operations," Parker said. "And although this is a very tight budget that we're presenting, that decision allows for this year's budget to exclude a call for more reductions.”
Board members had pointed questions about additional savings to stave off a referendum, but Parker stressed the preliminary budget is as lean as possible
