Preliminary Washington School District Budget to Be Reviewed Wednesday

A preliminary budget for the 2012-13 school year will be reviewed Wednesday night by the Washington Board of Education.

The school board will hold its regular monthly meeting at 7 p.m. at the Locust Street administration building.

The budget will be officially approved at a special meeting Thursday, June 28, at 7:30 a.m.

According to the preliminary budget, annual expenditures for next year are estimated at $54.7 million.

The major factor impacting increases in expenditures are the salary increases for staff members.

Operational expenses, which include the teachers fund, general fund and capital projects, are estimated at $43.7 million. The other expenses, by fund, are bond issue, debt service, student activities, food service and lease purchase.

Total revenue for 2012-13 is projected to be $49.3 million.

As in years past, the district will again rely heavily upon local property taxes to support its operations with 71.4 percent of total revenue, or about $35.2 million, coming from local sources.

The major factors impacting revenue decreases in the budget are drops in assessed values in property tax revenue and short investments being negatively impacted by lower interest rates due to the economy.

Agenda Items

Other items on the agenda Wednesday night include an evaluation of federal title programs; an update on implementation on the Common Core State Standards; and an update on the work being done by the community Focus Group 2 which has given a preliminary recommendation to proceed with another major bond issue in the next six to nine months.

Superintendent Dr. Lori VanLeer will discuss reorganization and changes to be implemented for the 2012-13 school year due to failure of the bond issue this past April and give an update on modular trailers to be utilized in the coming school year.

District CFO Shelly Kinder will give a monthly financial update and present the preliminary budget.

The board will be asked to vote on continuing the Linda Mood Bell Partnership and granting fiber access to parochial schools.