Over the past several months and years, Cashion Public Schools has experienced a great deal of change. Change driven by growth, new opportunities, and the responsibility to be good stewards.
Last year, our community passed a historic bond issue to build new facilities that will support our district’s continued growth. We are truly grateful for the trust our voters placed in us. Even better news followed: despite higher costs for construction materials and labor, the bids for the project came in under budget. Because of that, we were able to add seven additional classrooms to the high school project while staying within the approved bond amount. This is something we are proud of and reflects careful planning as well as collaboration with our construction partners Joe D Hall General Contractors and Renaissance Architecture.
Another cost-saving step taken on behalf of our community was the district’s decision to secure a $3.5 million lease purchase to relocate the football field. This approach allowed us to lower the millage rate associated with the bond that passed, reducing the overall tax impact on patrons. While this decision does allocate building fund revenue over the next 10 years, we believed it was the most responsible option for our community and an essential factor in ensuring the bond’s success. Our goal throughout the process was to balance long-term facility needs with affordability for taxpayers.
While our facilities projects are in a strong position, the district’s day-to-day operating budget is facing some real challenges.
For the past eight years, Cashion Public Schools has benefited from surplus revenue. Strong gross production and wind energy revenue helped provide financial stability. However, like many energy-based revenue sources, these funds can fluctuate. Over the past two years, gross production revenue has declined by about $400,000 per year. In addition, a recent lawsuit reduced the taxable value of wind turbines in our district and surrounding areas. When combined with normal depreciation, this has resulted in nearly $500,000 in lost revenue tied to wind energy.
At the same time, the state implemented a historic and well-deserved teacher pay raise. Our district fully supports this increase. However, state funding to help pay for those raises was only provided for one year to districts not fully funded by the state formula. As a result, Cashion Public Schools must now cover about $350,000 each year to continue paying those increased salaries.
As our district continues to grow and serve more students, the loss of revenue creates added pressure on our budget. These challenges are why we have had to make some difficult, but necessary, cost-saving decisions. This year, the district was unable to approve employee stipends before the winter break in order to ensure financial stability for the 2026–2027 school year. We have also partnered with an energy-efficiency program to reduce electricity and natural gas usage and have moved certain allowable expenses from the general fund to the building fund when possible.
We’ve also heard questions about why bond funds cannot be used to pay staff or cover general operating costs. While families may be able to move money around within a household budget, school districts must follow state laws that strictly limit how funds can be used. Public schools operate using several separate funding categories, each with specific rules:
General Fund – Covers daily operations such as salaries, classroom supplies, utilities, and transportation.
Building Fund – Used for facility maintenance, repairs, and capital improvements, but not general employee salaries.
Bond/Sinking Fund – Can only be used for voter-approved construction projects and major improvements.
Child Nutrition Fund – Supports school meal programs.
Activity Fund – Funds student activities and organizations through fees and fundraising.
These funds cannot be freely transferred between categories. Bond funds, in particular, are protected by law because voters approved them for specific purposes. They cannot be used for salaries or general operating expenses.
Cashion Public Schools remains committed to being transparent, fiscally responsible, and focused on long-term planning. While these are challenging financial times, our priority remains the same: serving students, supporting staff, and honoring the trust of the Cashion community.