New Dublin City Schools spending plan cuts $9 million from last year’s budget

The Dublin City Board of Education is proposing a $38.6 million budget that cuts more than $9 million from last year’s spending plan.

According to the proposed budget for fiscal year 2027, the financially struggling district would finish with a $821,314 surplus in the general fund.

It also projects an all-funds surplus of $3.4 million, with most of that from revenue generated by the local sales taxes for capital projects. The district expects to collect about $3 million from the tax, but plans to spend only $500,000.

However, the district will still carry over about $5.5 million in debt owed for past-due payments to the State Health Benefit Plan, and the budget calls for the system to continue its $300,000 monthly payments to the state.

School officials are banking on securing a tax anticipation note, or TAN, which would allow the district to borrow money during the typically lean months of fall until property taxes come due in December. Mired in a massive deficit, the district survived the past school year through advances of its monthly allotments of state funding. That, however, might not be an option this year as a new state law – passed at least partly in response to Dublin City’s financial distress – limits advances on Quality Basic Education (QBE) funding.

The school board approved a $47.5 million budget last year, but only later learned the district had started FY26 with a $3.8 million deficit.

As with all school districts, the largest expenditure category in the new budget is instruction. It also takes the largest cut from last year’s budget. The $21.8 million allocated for instruction is $1.5 million less than a year ago.

School administration costs also dropped significantly, to $2.2 million from $2.7 million. The budget also cuts general administration expenditures to $247,000, compared to $632,000 last year.

The school board will hold two budget hearings – on Monday, July 20, and on Monday, Aug. 3. Both meetings begin at 6 p.m. in the Dublin High auditorium.