Reminder: Independent parent group — not affiliated with or endorsed by FASD.
The Board accepted the annual audit and discussed fundraising. The working budget presented increased planned spending substantially, while strategic planning and parent-representation questions received no public follow-up.
TL;DR
The FY27 working budget reduces the projected surplus from $144,093 to $1,504. It adds about $242,000 in expenses against $99,000 in revenue. The Board did not discuss or adopt it; these are projections, not spending.
The preliminary October funded count is 252 students, 5% above the 240 budgeted. The working budget uses 250.
The Board accepted the FY26 audit without discussion. The audit was reported as clean; fund balance fell $174,256 to $400,356.
The Fundraising and Marketing Committee set a $100,000 annual goal, including $40,000 from Colorado Gives. School leadership said net totals for last year's events are still being worked out.
STAR results were presented; the CMAS analysis was not. The next meeting is December 2, replacing November's.
Parent Recap (What Happened)
Enrollment and the FY27 working budget
The School Director reported a preliminary funded count of 252 (253 attending), pending DPS confirmation. The adopted FY27 budget assumed 240.
The incoming Treasurer opened the Finance update with "not a ton to talk about." September financials were on track, she said, and the contingency line remains because the school is "really looking to increase our reserve."
The spreadsheet also showed a working budget dated October 2, built on 250 pupils. The school's contracted accountant called it "an updated progress report" and a way to "stress test those numbers" and consider expansions, including teaching assistants.
| Measure | Adopted | Working | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Funded pupils assumed | 240 | 250 | +10 (+4.2%) |
| Total revenue | $3,925,380 | $4,024,595 | +$99,215 (+2.5%) |
| Per-pupil revenue¹ | $2,774,153 | $2,889,743 | +$115,590 |
| Total expenses | $3,781,287 | $4,023,091 | +$241,804 (+6.4%) |
| Salaries and substitutes¹ | $1,991,782 | $2,229,579 | +$237,797 |
| Non-capital equipment¹ | $25,500 | $85,000 | +$59,500 |
| Contingency¹ | $25,000 | $25,000 | No change |
| Contributions and donations¹ | $75,000 | $75,000 | No change |
| Projected surplus | $144,093 | $1,504 | −$142,589 |
| Projected balance without donations² | $69,093 surplus | $73,496 deficit | −$142,589 |
¹ Components of the totals, not additive.
Salaries and substitutes exclude benefits.
² Removes the $75,000 donations line; all else unchanged.
Source note: Reconstructed from screenshots shared at the meeting. I have requested read access to the budget document to validate these figures and will update this post if they change.
The presentation did not identify which roles account for the salary increase or reconcile the full revision. No Board member asked about it.
The FY26 audit
The external accountant presented the FY26 audit as clean, with DPS deadlines met. Fund balance fell $174,256 to $400,356, following a $160,553 increase the year before. She attributed the draw to deferred maintenance, late curriculum invoices, and June moving costs: "I do not consider this an operational loss by any means." She also estimated that enrollment is "up almost 12%" and that facility costs will fall by roughly 40%.
Two Finance Committee members said they had read all 65 pages of the audit. The incoming Treasurer moved to accept it, and the Chair asked, "Any discussion before we vote?" None followed, and the motion carried.
The meeting did not provide a move-cost total, the current status of the former facility's $24,000 deposit (a June 30 audited balance), or MLO 2020 uses. The outgoing Treasurer (Stefan) is handing off to the incoming Treasurer (Carol), and the Chair noted at least one Board seat needs filling.
Fundraising
The PTO reported more than $18,000 in Fun Run receipts against about $1,600 in expenses, plus about $1,100 from an Illegal Pete's night. Volunteers are organizing the library.
Opening the Fundraising and Marketing report, the committee presenter called the school "financially very healthy" and stressed "the importance of annual fundraising." The goal is $100,000, about 20% raised so far. The presenter's comparison of past events showed about $37,000 for last year's gala on the giving platform against her estimate of about $45,000, with "some funds that I'm not entirely clear on." The School Director said some large donors wrote checks directly to the school and that net figures are "still being figured out."
The School Director said fundraising is not "above and beyond" but "part of a balanced budget for charter schools." The presenter added that it is "not really optional": the school can "cover the bare basics, but that's not what we're aiming for."
Academics and other updates
Fall STAR baseline results showed 182 of 251 K–5 students (73%) at or above reading benchmarks and 145 of 196 students in grades 1–5 (74%) at or above math benchmarks. A Board member asked how STAR relates to CMAS; the School Director said staff analyze the relationship, but that analysis was not presented. Updates also covered added psychologist and nursing coverage.
No one signed up for public comment. Strategic planning, SAC elections and bylaws, spending authority, and the School Director evaluation framework were not discussed.
The “Since You’re Here…” Section
Unofficial reflections — offered in good faith (and with a grain of salt)
I want to be explicit: the section above is my attempt to keep things factual and balanced. This section is my personal perspective.
The meeting felt calmer and more collegial, and I appreciated it. Two Finance Committee members reading all 65 pages of the audit is exactly the homework families should expect. Which is why the rest has me scratching my head.
Good news in, cushion out
Go back and look at that table. Then line up what we heard:
Enrollment is up almost 12%.
Facility costs should fall by roughly 40%.
The contingency is there to "increase our reserve."
There's "not a ton to talk about."
And the projected surplus went from $144,093 to $1,504. That's 99% of the cushion, shared as a progress report. I read it twice.
There may be a reasonable story. The accountant called it a stress test, so it may be a cautious scenario, not a plan. Truing up from 250 to 252 pupils adds roughly $23,000. Some new costs may be one-time, and some staffing needs may be real.
But the revision adds $237,797 in salaries and substitutes, more than double the $115,590 in new per-pupil revenue, and nobody said which roles. A stress test that uses up 99% of the cushion seems worth one question. None was asked.
Zoom out and it gets stranger. By the audits, fund balance rose $160,553 in FY25 and fell $174,256 in FY26. The working budget now projects $1,504 for FY27. If we're building a reserve, I'm not sure where.
"Financially very healthy" — so why the $100,000 ask?
This is the part I keep turning over. The School Director said fundraising is "part of a balanced budget." Under the adopted budget, the school didn't need donations to balance: without the $75,000 line, FY27 still projected a $69,093 surplus. Under the working budget, it does. Without donations, it projects a $73,496 deficit.
In about half an hour, families heard that the school is financially very healthy, that fundraising balances the budget, that it's not really optional, and that it's about going beyond the bare basics. I'm honestly not sure which pitch I'm supposed to make to my neighbors.
I appreciated the presenter's candor about the gala numbers. But it means we're setting a $100,000 goal before anyone can say what last year's biggest event netted. Last year’s Fun Run was promoted for STEM, field trips, and classroom needs, and kids and volunteers delivered more than $10,000 — how did we actually use it? Here’s a straightforward request: when asking parents for money, explain what it will fund—and report back on whether it was spent as promised.
One slide before December 2
The CMAS follow-up, strategic plan, and SAC parent elections didn't come up this month; they're still in the tracker below.
On the money, maybe there's a good answer. I'd just like to hear it. One slide would do: what changed between $144,093 and $1,504, which roles drive the salary increase, and what last year's events netted. If you'd like to see that too, email the Board at board@fasdenver.org or ask a Board member before December 2. And my approval for “read only” access to our school’s public monthly financials hasn’t come through as of this writing, but you can request your own access here: FASD FY27 Monthly Financials 202609.
I just can't square "not a ton to talk about" with a $142,589 projected swing. I'd like to hear the explanation before anyone sells me a gala ticket.
~ Greg
| Item | October status | What would resolve it |
|---|---|---|
| FY27 working budget | Revision presented; no questions on the full spending change or adoption vote | Explain the $142,589 surplus reduction, roles behind the salary increase, and what the Board is being asked to approve. |
| Fundraising reporting and donation uses | $100,000 goal presented; historical event totals not reconciled | Report receipts, expenses, net proceeds, and uses by event, tied to the purposes advertised. |
| Audit and financial access | FY26 audit accepted; original working-budget access still pending | Publish the accepted audit and accessible monthly reports; provide read access to validate the screenshot figures. |
| MLO 2020 | No explanation of allocations or actual uses | Explain the adopted consulting allocation and reconcile current MLO 2020 spending by program and account. |
| Facilities and move closeout | Audit walkthrough discussed move costs; no final total | Provide total move costs, the former-site deposit's current status, and remaining facilities or lease-closeout work. The $24,000 deposit was a June 30 balance. |
| Academic analysis | STAR presented; CMAS relationship question asked; CMAS math analysis not presented | Present the CMAS math analysis, relationship to STAR, response plan, and progress measures. |
| SAC bylaws and parent elections | No public follow-up on the concerns already raised | Identify operative bylaws, explain current parent-seat selection, hold elections required by those rules, and show how SAC advice informs decisions. |
| Strategic planning | No October update | Publish a mission-linked draft, community-input process, measurable priorities, and completion timetable. |
| Board capacity and leadership transition | Finance handoff discussed; at least one Board seat needs filling | Clarify Finance responsibilities, confirm the Treasurer selection process, and explain the recruitment plan and who will lead it. |
| Spending authority | No October update | Return with the peer comparison and transaction analysis requested in August, and explain proposed approval limits. |
| Governance cleanup | Governance report focused on school visits and student-support spaces | Update the School Director evaluation framework, governance calendar, policy review, and other pending policy work. |
| Parent survey and family priorities | No detailed survey follow-up presented | Share findings and explain how families' needs and priorities inform academic, budget, and fundraising decisions. |
Scope: Status reflects the October 28, 2026 public meeting, with earlier commitments carried forward and the budget-access request updated afterward. “No update” means none was presented at this meeting; it does not establish that no work occurred elsewhere.
