Mid-Del budget includes teacher raises, staffing shifts tied to enrollment

By Jeff Harrison
Midwest City Beacon

The Mid-Del School Board has approved a $170.96 million budget for the 2026-27 fiscal year, funding the state’s $2,000 teacher pay raise while adjusting staffing levels to match enrollment trends across the district.

Board members unanimously approved the spending plan during their June 8 meeting. The budget is roughly $10 million larger than the current year’s budget.

Jacqueline Woodard, Mid-Del Schools’ chief financial officer, said the district expects state aid increases to cover most of the cost of the legislatively approved teacher raise.

“The legislature passed a $2,000 teacher pay raise,” Woodard said. “For FY27, state aid projections assume an increase in the funding factor of approximately $123 per weighted student. The increase to state aid is estimated at $2.3M. The cost of giving all teachers the $2,000 raise is approximately $2M.”

Woodard said the additional state funding does not account for raises for support employees and administrators or annual step increases. Altogether, the district expects to spend about $3.7 million on raises and step increases.

Enrollment declines remain a challenge for district finances. Woodard said Mid-Del lost approximately $2.5 million in state aid between fiscal years 2025 and 2026 after enrollment dropped by 758 students over the past two years. District officials chose not to reduce staffing last year in hopes enrollment would recover.

Instead of cutting services, district leaders said next year’s staffing plan is intended to better align personnel with current enrollment levels.

When board member Gina Standridge asked where staffing changes would occur, Woodard outlined several additions across the district.

The budget includes five new teaching positions at Carl Albert Middle School and five at Del City Middle School through the creation of an additional instructional team at each campus. The district also plans to add an orchestra teacher and two special education teachers.

Three middle school administrative intern positions will be converted into assistant principal positions to provide additional support for student discipline and intervention efforts.

Additional staffing increases include 10 bus monitors, two painter positions and a secretary at Carl Albert High School. The district also increased its doctoral stipend. The risk manager position was eliminated.

Those additions will be offset by the reduction of 10 elementary teaching positions and three high school teaching positions.

Superintendent Rick Cobb said class sizes remain within district guidelines and that staffing levels would be revisited if enrollment grows.

Board member Shelly Schultz asked how the district would respond if revenue projections fall short and officials need to maintain the board-required 6% fund balance.

Woodard said the proposed budget represents the maximum amount the district could spend and noted that actual expenditures are typically lower because of vacancies, unused purchase orders and other savings that occur throughout the year.

“The budget that I am requesting you to approve this evening is the maximum amount that the district could spend,” Woodard said. “There is always underspending created by federal projects, purchase orders that are not needed and closed, and positions that go unfilled or partially filled through the year.”

Woodard said the district’s revenue estimates are intentionally conservative and could improve if statewide taxable income exceeds projections, resulting in a larger midyear state aid adjustment.

The budget maintains a 6% general fund balance, meeting board policy requirements.