Bemidji School Board approves nearly all proposed 2026 budget cuts

The Bemidji Area Schools board approved nearly all of Superintendent Jeremy Olson’s proposed reductions in a mid-February vote in Bemidji, adopting a package intended to help balance the district’s fiscal-year 2026 budget that Olson framed as $1.6 million in reductions. The cuts come as the district confronts a multi‑million dollar shortfall after operating in a severe deficit since 2018.

The package approved by the board included reductions of several positions, a $35,000 cut to the district supply budget, and a reorganization that moves some middle school sports between Bemidji High School and Community Education. The board removed one element by amendment during the vote: the proposed combination of second and third grades at Solway Elementary; after that amendment the remainder of the package passed unanimously. Community testimony at the meeting raised program-level concerns including the potential elimination of the debate team.

District financials reviewed by the board show an ending general operating fund balance of $7.2 million against $67.3 million in expenses, a 10.7 percent fund balance slightly above the district’s 10 percent target. Administrators cited enrollment pressures and rising costs: enrollment declined 0.95 percent, and leaders pointed to increased employee costs, inflationary pressures, and planned spending when framing the need for reductions. On the payroll question, Eastridge said, “To date, we have only paid out step and lane increases. While this is a limited payout that normally would put us under budget, so far anyways, we have revised our estimates to reflect the full anticipated costs of unsettled contracts.”

The board’s action followed budget work sessions and an earlier preliminary 2025-2026 operating budget the board approved in June, which served as the baseline for planning. At its first regular meeting of 2026 the board approved a revised 2025-2026 operating budget in what the district called a record 20-minute meeting; the full regular meeting recording is available on the Bemidji Area Schools YouTube channel.

Public comment at the mid‑February budget meeting was emotional. Bemidji School Board Clerk Jenny Frenzel told the board, “I’ve been on a roller coaster of emotions and I might sit up here with a brave face, but I guarantee I’ll be crying on my home. But the fact remains, we’re hurting right now, and we have to balance our budget.” Bemidji High School sophomore Brynn Klaers warned of lost value beyond dollars, saying, “Cutting the debate team might seem like a reduction of costs on paper, but the real loss is what our community stands to gain.” Another community member added, “The cost is not just measured in staffing numbers. It is measured in what our students will never read, what questions they won’t know to ask, and the myriad possibilities they may never imagine for themselves.”

In related board business the district unanimously approved a purchase agreement for the former Central Elementary School building near downtown Bemidji. The buyer is Sacred Bundle, a nonprofit associated with the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe, which offered $250,000 for the property; the board approved the sale at a special meeting on Feb. 20 and the transaction is expected to close Feb. 27, 2026. The deed includes restrictions barring use for cannabis-related industry or as a K-12 school, and programming at the site could begin as soon as the summer after closing. Board member Ann Long Voelkner said, “I think that the buyer will be good for our community as a whole. So I'm looking forward to that transition.”

Key specifics remain unresolved publicly: the board has not released a line-by-line list showing the exact number and job titles of positions eliminated, the final total dollar savings realized after the vote compared with the $1.6 million proposal, or detailed vote tallies by board member. As the district moves to close a long-running deficit that dates to 2018, administrators and community members face immediate program and staffing changes while some budget details and contract settlements are still being finalized.