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RFSD school board column: Working to minimize budget challenges on students and teachers

Kathryn Kuhlenberg
RFSD Board President
Kathryn Kuhlenberg
Courtesy

As the President of the Roaring Fork Schools Board of Education, I want to speak candidly about the financial challenges our district is facing. These issues are complex and significant, but they are not insurmountable. Over the past several months, our Board and administration have worked hard to assess and address the situation, sharing updates in public meetings, emails, and on our website. Today, I’d like to provide you with a clearer understanding of what’s happened and how we plan to move forward.

The challenges we face stem from several factors: unexpected costs related to a self-insurance plan for employee health care, budgetary shortfalls from the previous year, declines in student  enrollment, and the ongoing effects of state funding limitations. Together, these have created a difficult financial situation that will require careful management in the coming years.

As president of the Board of Education, it is my responsibility to ensure that the community we represent fully understands the scope of what we are facing and the actions we are taking to address it. 



First of all, the most immediate and impactful issue comes as a result of the district’s move to a self-insurance plan for its employee health care in the summer of 2023 At the time, the Board of Education approved the move based on recommendations by district administrators and the health insurance advisory team, which was composed of RFSD staff, administrators and community experts. Looking back, the district clearly underestimated the true cost of administering a self-insurance plan and did not have the expertise needed to roll out and manage such a plan.

After identifying these concerns last summer, the district’s administration, working with the Board and a staff advisory committee decided to return to a traditional health insurance plan to minimize the financial impacts in the fall of 2024. In total, the district has had to address nearly $6 million in additional costs spanning the 23/24 and 24/25 school years beyond what was planned. Further complicating the issue is the fact that rates for a more traditional health insurance plan have skyrocketed and must be budgeted moving forward.



Also this fall, district staff discovered and shared with the Board budgetary shortfalls caused by the rushed development of the 24/25 school year budget. That budget missed key expenditures and overestimated student enrollment, which we now know is declining. The combination of these omissions and declining enrollment will impact the 25/26 school year budget, creating a budget deficit of about $5 million for 25/26 that must be addressed in the coming months before that budget is approved by the Board of Education. 

I want to be clear that the Board and district administration are doing everything we can to ensure that these fiscal issues will minimally impact students and teachers. We were fortunate to begin this year with reserves in the general fund as well as savings from the Meadowood staff housing project. These have provided opportunities for filling the one-time gaps in budgets presented by the health insurance overage and budgetary miscalculations.

While we rely heavily on the recommendations of our superintendent and expert staff, ultimately, budget approval rests with the Board of Education—and we approved the budget. Looking ahead, we are making significant changes to improve our financial management and transparency. A key step has been the hiring of a new Chief Financial Officer with deep expertise in school and local government finances. Under this new leadership, we are implementing stronger financial oversight processes to ensure accuracy and accountability.

Quarterly financial updates will be presented during public meetings, and our finance committee has been revitalized to provide additional oversight. These measures reflect our unwavering commitment to earning and maintaining the trust of our community through transparent and responsible stewardship of public funds.

While managing these financial challenges, our focus remains firmly on our students. Our mission to provide high-quality education for every child in our district has not changed. 

Community involvement will be vital to our success. We value your input and are committed to keeping you informed every step of the way. Public meetings, updated financial information on our website, and meeting recordings  are just some of the ways we are ensuring transparency. We encourage you to participate in District and School Accountability Committees and to reach out with questions or ideas.

I also want to put these challenges in context. School districts across Colorado and the nation are navigating similar financial pressures due to rising costs, declining enrollments, and inadequate state funding. While these issues are not unique to Roaring Fork Schools, I am confident in our ability to navigate them because of the strength of our staff and community.

On behalf of the Board, I want to thank you for your continued engagement and support. The road ahead will require all of us to work together, but I am confident that we can address these challenges and emerge stronger. With your help, we will continue to provide the high-quality education that our students and families deserve.

Thank you for your support of Roaring Fork Schools.

Kathryn Kuhlenberg is president of the Roaring Fork School District Board of Education. She was elected to the board in 2021.


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