GIPS Board Brief September 19, 2025

The Grand Island Public Schools "Board Brief" is an online monthly publication sharing the Board of Education meeting highlights, updates, campus recognitions, and more.

Here's a recap of the September 2025-26 Fiscal Year Budget Workshop, Budget & Levy Hearings.

• GIPS Annual Budget Workshop - 5:15 p.m. - Workshop Agenda (not live streamed but was open to the public)
  
• GIPS 2024-25 Board Budget Hearing - 6:30 p.m. - Hearing Agenda
  
• GIPS 2024-25 Levy Hearing - 6:31 p.m. - Hearing Agenda
  
• Budget & Levy Hearings Video Stream
• Mrs. Lisa Albers was not present but gave prior notice to her absence.

Each year GIPS hosts an annual Budget Workshop with the Board of Education. The workshop is open to the public and provides the Board and the community an opportunity to review the proposed budget for the new fiscal year.

After the workshop, the Board of Education then held a Budget Hearing and a Levy Hearing. The hearings allow for the Chief Financial Officer, Virgil Harden, to share a brief update on the budget and invite members of the public to share feedback, concern, or questions.

There were no requests from the public to speak before the Board regarding the budget.

Next, the Board will hold a special meeting on Monday, September 22nd at 5:30 to vote on the budget.

Here are a few notable highlights for the GIPS Budget for the 2025-26 school year:

1. Lower Tax Levy by 5 cents per every $100; Third Straight Year we've lowered our levy.
   
   
2. Overall General Fund Budget is up 2.5% (previous year was over 3%).
   
   
3. Property Tax Valuation (a process GIPS does not control) is 8.02%.
   
   
4. Cash Reserves are at $59+ million the largest in recent memory.
   
   
5. Special Building Fund will be increased by $7 million without an extra burden on the taxpayer.
   
   
6. Bond Fund will reduce by $57 million.
   
   
7. The following funds will show no change in their budget from last year: Depreciation Fund, Contingency Fund, & Activities Fund.
   
   
8. GIPS Plans to actually spend approximately $139 million in the General Fund for 2025-26.
   
   
9. GIPS will live within our means.

Learn more about the 2025-26 budget by listening to the district's latest podcast episode with Mr. Fisher HERE.

Be sure to explore our budget resources on our district website!

Available on-demand to you is a podcast episode featuring a conversation with our Superintendent, Matt Fisher, and Chief Financial Officer, Virgil Harden, sharing a deeper look into this year’s budget.

You will also be able to find a snapshot of our financial overview from the last three years through our Annual Report publications.

We will update the www.GIPS.org/Budget page with more resources as the year progresses.

Mr. Matt Fisher, GIPS Superintendent, joins 'The GIPS Cast' to give on overview on the financial health of the district.

Along the way, Mr. Fisher looks ahead to what GIPS has planned for the 2025-26 school year budget, how the district is able to lower its tax levy for a third year in a row, and why now is an important time for to start planning ahead for future growth and facility needs.

Because it's about casting a vision on how best to partner with our community to take care of our students.

You may listen to the latest episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or our district website HERE.

A message from Superintendent Matt Fisher (also published in the Grand Island Independent on 9.18.2025):

We are a month into the school year and positive momentum is filling our schools and classrooms. As we see each year, September also marks the start of the fiscal year for Nebraska school districts.

The beginning of a fiscal year brings requirements for us as we operate our public school district. Part of the annual budgeting process includes reviewing, approving, and setting of a tax request to support that budget.

Our Grand Island Public Schools (GIPS) district will hold a budget workshop this week on Thursday, September 18, 2025 at 5:30 p.m. at the Kneale Administration Building.

Looking ahead to our next fiscal year, we will be sharing with the Board and the community a few key highlights for our tax payers.

1. We are lowering our tax levy for the third straight year.

2. We have an opportunity to build-up our Special Buildings Fund.

3. It's time to start planning for the future of GIPS.

Our continued focus and invitation is to partner with our staff, families, and community to provide meaningful, high-quality learning experiences for Grand Island’s students.

We, our students and staff, appreciate your trust and your partnership as we continue doing all we can to ensure our mission of Every Student, Every Day, A Success is lived in each of our classrooms.

CLICK HERE to read the full message.