Manhattan School Board Adopts $39.9 Million Amended Budget for Fiscal 2026

Manhattan School District 114 Meeting | May 13, 2026

Article Summary: The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education reviewed an amended tentative budget for fiscal year 2026 on Tuesday, May 13, 2026, that keeps district spending within the plan adopted in September, with formal adoption set for June 10. Officials reported revenues came in slightly above conservative projections and that the budget remains balanced, requiring no deficit reduction plan.

Amended Budget Key Points:

• The amended tentative budget places the district on public display from May 11 through June 10, 2026, ahead of a budget hearing and adoption vote scheduled for the June 10 regular meeting.
• Total estimated direct expenditures across all operating and capital funds were presented at roughly $39.9 million, with the Educational Fund accounting for about $21.9 million.
• District officials said the spending plan remains balanced, so no deficit reduction plan is required under state law.
• The board took no vote on the budget May 13; the presentation was informational ahead of the required public hearing.

MANHATTAN — The Manhattan School District 114 Board of Education on Tuesday, May 13, 2026, reviewed an amended tentative budget for the 2026 fiscal year that district leadership said keeps spending in line with the figures the board approved in September, ahead of a final adoption vote scheduled for June 10.

The presentation emphasized that the document remains a working draft. “The key word here is tentative,” the presenter told the board, noting that the numbers could shift over the coming weeks before formal adoption on June 30, the last day of the fiscal year. The figures shown matched those shared with board members in a weekend board brief, cleaned up for the meeting presentation.

District leadership explained that budgets are amended to align initial financial plans with real-time data, adjusting for changes in revenue or expenses that develop during the year. Among the factors that can drive those changes, officials cited enrollment shifts — which the district said had been steady — along with revenue adjustments, unexpected expenses such as building repairs, contractual changes including salary increases and new teacher contracts, and benefit costs. The district said it had seen revenue adjustments and a benefits change this year.

Budget Stays Within September Plan

On the expenditure side, the presenter said the district remains within budget despite increases in duties and insurance costs. The only meaningful changes came through fund-line transfers, which allowed the district to move items between funds so that the overall budget did not change. According to the budget summary, total estimated direct expenditures across all funds — including the Educational, Operations & Maintenance, Debt Service, Transportation, Municipal Retirement/Social Security, Capital Projects and Tort funds — came to roughly $39.9 million. The Educational Fund alone was budgeted at about $21.9 million in total direct disbursements including student activity funds.

On revenues, the district described its budgeting approach as conservative, deliberately keeping revenue projections modest and expenditures controlled so the district does not spend more than it takes in. Revenues came in slightly higher than originally planned in September. Officials noted the district was still awaiting a couple of levy payments expected in May and June.

The presentation also walked through fund balances, including a $5.7 million transfer representing interest earned on previously unspent bond proceeds, and a $3.3 million defeasance escrow that is part of an original $20 million. Officials said the district had already applied $2.7 million of an earmarked $6 million toward bond repayment for fiscal year 2027, and that staff were working with the district’s auditors, the board, and bond counsel to determine how best to capture the $3.3 million on the state budget form.

Funding Process and Timeline

The amended budget follows the same process the district uses each September, district leadership said. State law requires the amended budget to be adopted by the last day of the fiscal year, with a public hearing held beforehand — typically the same day. The tentative amended budget must be on public display for 30 days prior to adoption, with public notice of the display and the hearing’s date, time and place published in a newspaper of general circulation.

The district published that notice in the Herald on April 24, with the budget on public display from May 11 through June 10. The budget summary document confirms the district carries a balanced budget for which no deficit reduction plan is required.

Asked whether any items stood out for board attention, the presenter said nothing was sticking out and reiterated the district was working within the budget passed in September. Board members asked no questions, and one member called it “a very good presentation.” No vote was taken; the matter returns to the board for a hearing and adoption vote at the June 10 regular meeting.