Kalispell school budget pegged at $69 million
Kalispell Public Schools will operate on a $69 million budget for the 2015-16 school year.
Trustees approved an elementary district budget of $28.7 million and a high school district budget of $29.7 million. The rest of the budget is contained in cash funds.
Both budgets increased from the 2014-15 school year.
The elementary district budget grew by 3.10 percent or $863,418. The high school district increased by 0.86 percent or $252,760.
Both budgets contain cash funds for miscellaneous programs. On the elementary side, the cash fund contains $3.2 million in rental, building, retirement and internal service funds, among others. The elementary district is just a fiscal agent, however, for one of the cash funds that belong to seven school districts that make up a self-funded health insurance cooperative.
The high school district contains $7.4 million in cash funds that cover food service, traffic education, building, student activities and endowment funds. One of the cash funds contains about $1.3 million in an interlocal agreement fund that includes a combination of elementary and high school district money primarily from end-of-year money accumulated over the last three years.
The interlocal agreement between the elementary and high school district was created in 2011-12.
Interlocal funds can be spent any time throughout the year with board action for myriad projects in either the high school or elementary district. Last year, the district used some of the interlocal money to purchase land for a new elementary school site.
With the budgets approved, some balancing of expenditures is necessary. Currently, the elementary district is $85,000 over budget and the high school district is over by $256,000.
One of the reasons for the budget overage is that the district still has to finalize contracts for new teachers. In the meantime, District Clerk Gwyn Anderson budgeted for the maximum salary a new teacher could potentially receive based on education and years of experience, although she anticipates most contracts will be less.
“As those contracts are finalized we will start making adjustments in the budget,” Anderson said. “I believe those adjustments will resolve this over-budget amount.”
In addition, the district has yet to finalize federal project programs such as Title I and Special Education.
“We did get some increased funding in those areas and look to balance out the budgets,” Anderson said. “I believe those [overages] will be zero when we finalize contracts and federal programs.”
A majority of general fund expenditures goes toward salaries: 81 percent in the elementary district and 76 percent in the high school.
The district’s primary revenue source is state funding, which is primarily based on enrollment numbers that have increased. Money also comes from local taxpayers.
Taxpayers in the elementary district will generate a total of $8.1 million, about 28 percent of the total budget. Taxpayers living in the high school district will contribute $9.7 million, roughly 33 percent of the total budget.
Both budgets have full reserves, which the district will use to operate from July to November when the first tax collections are received. Full reserves are an important indication of financial stability if the district moves forward in bonding for a new elementary school, Anderson said.
Currently, the elementary district is in the second year of a 10-year technology levy that provides $600,000 annually. The elementary technology fund contains $1.27 million. About $736,000 is slated for expenditures, which includes replacing an elementary computer lab. The labs are on a five-year rotation.
Trustees approved the budget Aug. 11.
Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.