Operations and Finance Cohort

Thank you to everyone who joined our March 10 Operations & Finance cohort meeting focused on budget development. This is always a challenging time of year, and this year brings an added layer of uncertainty.

When asked to describe how budget season is going so far, many of you shared words like ambiguous, challenging, and uncertain. While the outlook is still evolving, the goal of this session was to provide clarity around what we know today so you can begin planning accordingly. As Kim shared, “when clarity is high, anxiety is lower.”

A special thank you to our guest speakers: Kyle DeBeer, VP of Civic Affairs at CLCS Action, and Kim McClelland, Education Consultant with LeadJoy.

Key Takeaways
- Plan conservatively for next year. The most realistic planning scenario right now is $0 increase in Per-Pupil Revenue (PPR). While a small increase is still possible, schools should build budgets conservatively and adjust later if needed. Updated projections are expected March 19.
- Expect financial pressure ahead. Colorado’s state budget deficit means K–12 funding will likely face pressure over the next several years .
- Fund the mission. Budget decisions should reflect your school’s academic priorities and long-term program model.
- Be cautious with staffing and expenses. Approach compensation decisions carefully and take time to audit operational costs to identify potential savings.

Meeting Resources
- Slides: Both slide decks are posted in the Documents tab.
- Preliminary Budget Development Assumptions (PBDA) Template: This three-year budget modeling template helps schools stress-test budgets using conservative enrollment and funding assumptions to identify potential gaps early. This template is also posted on the Docs tab referenced above.
- Recording: I do not yet have access to the meeting recording and wanted to circulate the slides quickly. I will share the recording in a separate post as soon as it becomes available.

Next Up
April 14, 2026 – Enrollment & Retention Strategy
May 12, 2026 – Authorizer Relationships
May 21, 2026 (BON) – Preparing for a Successful Audit

Thank you again for the work you are doing to guide your school through a challenging budget year. Please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have questions.

Created: March 10, 2026 05:03:34 PM