CPS board election: Candidates talk about funding concerns, possibilities
With federal and state law changes, Columbia Public Schools expects to face serious budget cuts down the road. Candidates for the Columbia School Board and others are calling the scenario a financial cliff.
“There’s going to be a lot of uncertainty after the (2028-29) school year,” Heather McArthur, the district’s chief financial officer, said at a recent board meeting.
McArthur expects the district’s operating fund to shrink over the coming years.
At the board’s February meeting, she said the operating fund balance for the 2030-31 school year is projected to be $30 million lower than the balance for the 2026-27 school year. This would put the balance under state guidelines, MacArthur said, and could result in tax anticipation — that is, borrowing money under the expectation of tax revenue.
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