State Dollars Beef Up Wv Coffers As District Girds For Added Students

Thu., Aug. 18, 1994

Margaret Taus Staff writer

The West Valley School District is in good financial shape heading into this school year, expecting modest enrollment growth and the state dollars that come with those additional students.

A public hearing is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the regular school board meeting at the Millwood Early Childhood Center, E8818 Grace, to discuss the 1994-1995 budget.

The district expects to get about 5 percent more money than last year for its general fund, which pays for school programs.

Most of that increase is due to the 80 or so additional students expected this year, said Business Manager Doug Matson.

“Our numbers are kind of conservative,” Matson said of the enrollment prediction. “We don’t want to over-project.” The increase is due to a small outgoing senior class and growth at the elementary level, he said.

Other additions to the budget this year are one-time state Student Learning Improvement Grants and some state-approved salary increases, Matson said. The learning improvement grants to individual schools will bring in about $150,000.

The general fund reserve will have a strong balance of about 12 percent of the general fund. School board members know the district works with about a 10 percent reserve to avoid cutting programs if there is a funding crisis, Matson said.

“It provides us some flexibility,” Matson said. If the state were to cut funding, the district wouldn’t be forced to cut programs in the middle of a year, he said. Other area school districts project smaller reserves for this year, and some will have to dip into reserves to pay for programs.

Part of the budget would have to be amended if the district passes a bond issue Sept. 20.

The district will ask voters a fifth time to approve a bond to expand overcrowded elementary schools. The $9.6 million proposal is more than the previous $8.2 million bond issue, which failed in March, because of increased construction costs and additional work required by federal law for disability access. The bond won’t include a new entry way, bus loading zone or paved parking lots at West Valley High School.

The projected tax rate would be about 99 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, Matson said.

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