Kent School District addresses $10.5 million budget shortfall

Published 5:41 pm Monday, November 17, 2025

Kent School District leaders have cut a $10.5 million deficit to about $3.4 million in the 2025-2026 budget with reductions in central administrative office materials and supplies and leaving central office positions vacant.

Superintendent Israel Vela told the Kent School Board about the latest budget numbers during his Nov. 12 report and in a posting to the district website.

“As things change we will continue to update the community,” Vela said.

The projected funding gap went up to $10.5 million from the $8 million estimate during an October report by Vela. The additional $2.5 million is from $1.4 million in an ending fund balance difference (a drop from $60.1 million to $58.7 million) and a $1.1 million drop in a funding source change for social workers and building family liaisons, who work with students, parents and teachers.

The district is taking a funding hit because of lower enrollment than projected and the loss of federal funds. The district’s enrollment is about 792 students lower than expected, according to the October budget report.

The district will save about $5.2 million from central administrative office materials, supplies, operations and costs budget reductions, and another $1.9 million savings will come from not filling vacant central office positions.

Another $3.4 million remaining cost savings is needed for the 2025-2026 school year to maintain the required 5% unassigned fund balance as required by board policy. Those cuts have not yet been determined. The unassigned fund balance is money that a school district has left over at the end of a fiscal year. The district’s fiscal year is from Sept. 1 through Aug. 31.

The district lost $20.4 million this school year in revenues due to a decline in enrollment and reduction in federal funding. The use of $11 million from the unassigned fund balance earlier in the fall reduced that loss prior to the latest cuts.

Vela said district staff is estimating a $35 million funding gap in the 2026-2027 school year with enrollment declines, which means less state funding. Finding ways to reduce that deficit will be determined once budget talks begin for next school year.