Spokane schools to present proposed budget to community Wednesday

Community members can comment on a proposed Spokane Public Schools budget Wednesday.

The proposal, which is available online, highlights different programs and areas that may receive additional funding, pending board approval. It also examines how the newly passed state-budget will impact Spokane.

The special board meeting will start at 6 p.m. and will be located at the district administrative offices at 200 N. Bernard Street.

After receiving community input, district staff will seek approval from the school district board of directors on August 23.

The district already presented a budget to the community on June 14 seeking feedback. However, the community input portion of the event was cut short due to time constraints, angering some participants.

Linda McDermott, the chief financial officer of the district, said it’s not uncommon for the district to hold two budget forums. This year, due to the truncated first meeting, and a delayed state budget, the district decided to hold two forums.

“The upcoming forum provides an additional opportunity to answer questions about the proposed budget and to collect constituent comments,” she said in an e-mail.

At the June 14 budget proposal, community members expressed concerns that more money wasn’t being allocated to special education students and programs. Wednesday’s budget proposal calls for increased special education staffing.

The proposal also includes increased funding for restorative practice training and Positive Behavior Interventions and Support training.

At the same June 14 board meeting, where the budget was presented, a number of parents and teachers raised concerns about student behavior and unsafe school conditions.