The Independent School District 279 School Board approved a $22.7 million deficit budget for fiscal year 2026 during its June 24 meeting, while maintaining strong fund balances to avoid significant program cuts.

The board unanimously approved the budget, which increases expenditures by 9.1% compared to the previous year's revised budget. Despite the deficit spending, the district's ending fund balance is projected to be 25.4% of annual expenditures, well above the board's minimum policy requirement of 5%.

"The fiscal responsibility of our staff in past years has allowed us to be in this place where we can continue to meet the needs of our scholars without significant cuts," said Acting Board Chair Thomas Brooks.

The board also approved a 10-year facilities maintenance plan that coordinates with the district's "Build a Better Future" construction initiative. The plan includes substantial deferred maintenance projects at Maple Grove Senior High, Osseo Senior High, and Park Center Senior High, along with mechanical equipment updates at several other schools.

The meeting began with acknowledgment of a recent community tragedy involving the deaths of Representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and injuries to Senator John Hoffman and his wife. The board also heard a presentation on the district's expanded summer nutrition services program, which now serves meals at 43 sites across the community in partnership with Brooklyn Park and Brooklyn Center.