NANKIN — The Mapleton Local School District is in a strong financial position today, yet its latest five-year forecast shows that could change.
The district projects a $770,282 surplus for fiscal year 2027. The forecast then projects deficit spending beginning in 2028.
Mapleton projects a $409,320 deficit in 2028. The deficit grows to $1.1 million in 2029, $1.12 million in 2030 and $1.64 million in 2031.
The deficits would reduce the cash balance over time. The balance is projected to fall to about $562,842 by June 30, 2031.
Treasurer Katy Wiley presented the financial forecast during the Mapleton Board of Education meeting Thursday night.
What is driving the forecast?
Elementary enrollment currently sits at about 303 students. That is down from about 335 students at the end of last school year.
Elementary Principal Cassie Swanson said lower enrollment is partly because a larger fifth-grade class moved into sixth grade. Busing was also cut for open-enrolled students, so some families chose to stay in their home districts.
Interim Supt. Bradley Romano said the loss of open-enrollment students could also reduce the amount of state funding Mapleton receives.
The district expects personnel costs and purchased services to increase. Board members said they plan to review contracts and other services for potential savings.
“You weren’t deficit spending in last fiscal year,” Romano said. “You’re not going to find a million dollars in there. But you’re going to find a lot of thousands here and 500s there.”
Mapleton looks for ways to manage costs
Mapleton has made cuts in recent years to avoid deficit spending in 2026 and 2027.
“We can’t, there’s no way we can cut staff anymore,” Wiley said.
The changes have also affected scheduling. So far, 41 sixth- and seventh-grade students are enrolled in band. The students share one band period which limits when they can take core classes and electives.
High School Principal Corey Kline said the school is working to balance class sizes while keeping opportunities available to students.
What’s next?
The board did not take action on a new levy measure during the meeting. Board members discussed whether the district needs to seek additional revenue in the future.
The current forecast does not include revenue from a new levy.
Romano said the district also wants to see how the state’s next biennial budget affects school funding.
Romano said the district will also look at its purchased services to see where it can operate more efficiently. The forecast gives Mapleton several years to address the projected deficits.
“We want to pump the brakes and not move too far ahead of ourselves,” Romano said.
