Budget Information
Winter ‘24 Budget Update:
New: Click here to watch Superintendent Benjamin's 11/26 district finance update (Facebook Live video)
During the regular board meeting on Monday, November 25, 2024, the Kalama School Board approved a resolution to request an advance of the district’s basic education apportionment from OSPI in the amount of $613,000.
The move comes in the midst of a series of budget challenges for the district, including increased costs due to inflation, a low fund balance to begin the school year, and a reduction in student FTEs (which reduces funds provided by the state).
Alongside a temporary pause in hiring across the district, a previously approved plan to cut spending, and ongoing efforts to explore passive revenue strategies, Monday’s action was guided by the Board’s commitment to fiscal responsibility, transparency, and the prioritization of student needs (keeping cuts away from the classroom).
How apportionment advances work
School districts are authorized to request apportionment advances from the state so long as an unforeseen condition causes the district to face an emergency situation and the sum of the advance does not exceed the lesser of:
10 percent of the district’s estimated basic education allocation for the period between September 1 and June 30; OR
the highest monthly negative cash and investment balance projected for the period of the advance
Apportionment advances must be repaid during the apportionment year in which the funds are advanced.
A statewide challenge
Kalama School District is, unfortunately, one of many districts across the state currently dealing with significant budget challenges, as explained in this short video from the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA).
To learn more about the issues creating financial pressure on Washington’s K-12 school districts, visitwww.waschoolfunding.org.
Related materials
Spring/Summer ‘24 Budget Update:
During the regular board meeting on Monday, April 22, 2024, the Kalama School Board approved a plan to reduce spending in the district by approximately $500,000 for the 2024-25 school year.
Despite the best efforts of lawmakers, the need to cut spending in the district is largely related to state funding and rising costs (inflation). Unfortunately, this is the case for school districts across the state, as explained in this short video from the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA).
Looking at our board-approved spending reduction plan, you can see that the district is committed to doing everything possible to make cuts furthest from the classroom, and local community support of our Educational Programs and Operations Levy certainly helps with that.
As with any budget challenge, our decisions will be guided by our value for placing students first, and our focus on transparency.
To learn more about the issues creating financial pressure on Washington’s K-12 school districts, visit www.waschoolfunding.org.
Fall/Summer ‘23 Budget Update:
The Kalama School Board voted to approve the budget for the 2023-2024 school year during its regular board meeting on Monday, July 24, 2023.
Prepared by the district’s Director of Business and Operations, the budget aims to provide a statement, expressed in financial terms, that serves as the primary tool for planning and controlling operations.
View a presentation of our 2023-2024 school budget by clicking here, or on the image below.
For the 2023-2024 budget, the district used the annual average students enrolled as of June 2023. Estimates are based on student enrollment during the previous school year with a conservative growth estimate. The ‘23-’24 budgeted enrollment (including Running Start) is 1,105.
Understanding our budget
Each year, the district's budget must be approved by the Board of Directors by the end of the fiscal year (August 31). The budget establishes maximum expenditure amounts for each fund type (see below), and provides a means of measuring and guiding performance.
Revenues received by the district include:
State apportionment (based primarily on student enrollment)
Our local Educational Programs & Operations Levy
Grants
Local non-tax (Chinook Station tuition, Food Service payments, dues and fees, etc.)
Expenditures incurred by the district include:
Teaching supplies
Staff salaries & benefits
Curriculum materials
Operating costs
The district’s budget consists of five separate funds. Click on each fund type to learn more about its utilization in the district.
Questions?
Do you have budget-related questions for the district? We're here to answer them! Just give the Kalama School District Office a call at (360) 673-5282.