Westlake Academy employees will see a 1.8% cost-of-living raise starting in the 2026-27 school year after the Westlake Town Council, sitting as the academy's Board of Trustees, approved the pay bump at its July 21 meeting.

The raise is smaller than the 2% increase the board had directed staff to prepare at last month's meeting. Staff recommended trimming the figure to 1.8% to stay conservative and avoid pushing the budget into deficit, according to the town's official meeting recap.

The council approved Resolution 26-20 to amend the FY 2027 budget to include the adjustment.

It also approved Resolution 26-15, finalizing the amended FY 2026 budget at $13.1 million in revenues and $12.6 million in expenditures, with a projected $540,000 contribution to the fund balance.

The consent agenda passed unanimously, though the recap does not break out individual votes on the budget resolutions.

Payroll switch targets August

Behind the budget numbers, the 877-student charter school is in the middle of a major back-office overhaul.

Westlake Academy is transitioning its financial services to Charter Impact, a third-party provider the board hired in February under a three-year contract. The deal charges 2% of board-approved revenue, $25 per month per employee for payroll, and $30 per year per student for data services.

Liz Richard has taken over as the Charter Impact liaison at the academy, managing invoices and purchase orders. The goal is for Charter Impact to run payroll entirely by August.

Staff noted at the meeting that ensuring no paychecks are missed is the top priority during the transition.

Internet costs drop 30-40%

The board also heard updates on a technology infrastructure overhaul. A new AT&T internet contract cuts connectivity costs by 30% to 40% compared to the prior deal.

The academy is switching its phone system from Zoom to True IP, a move staff said will save roughly $10,000 a year.

Before the summer break, staff rolled over 1,300 to 1,400 technology devices as part of the transition to a new IT provider, Technology Lab.

A new firewall was scheduled for installation Wednesday, July 22.

Project Manager Jason Oliver reported that the academy's Arts and Sciences Building expansion has spent 12% of its $6.7 million construction contract, with $5.89 million remaining.

Oliver said vertical construction is scheduled to begin in September 2026, with a completion target of June 2027.