Kalispell Public Schools to operate on a $77.8 M budget

Kalispell Public Schools will operate on $77.8 million for the 2022-23 school year.

The amount includes budgeted funds in the elementary and high school districts. State funding and taxpayer money are the primary sources of revenue for the district’s budgeted funds.

Property taxes accounted for about 38.5% of funding for the elementary district budget and 36.1% of the high school budget.

The elementary district will operate on a $37.8 million budget. Affecting the elementary budget is a $557,158 general fund levy voters approved in 2021 that will be imposed for the first year. Trustees decided not to impose it last school year due to available federal Covid-19 relief money from the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER).

The high school district budget totals $39,994,634.

“The good news is our taxable value increased over last year so a mill is worth more,” district Business and Financial Director Denise Williams said.

That means an overall decrease of $382,901.10 in levied dollars.

The elementary and high school districts hold cash funds in addition to budgeted funds. Cash funds fluctuate and cover food service, student activities, traffic education and health insurance, for example. An interlocal fund and ESSER money are also under cash funds.

The interlocal fund contains year-end money from the elementary and high school districts and may be spent on various projects with board approval. On Tuesday, trustees approved transferring a total of $2.6 million into the interlocal fund, leaving a balance of $9.3 million. Since the interlocal fund was put into place in 2011, the district has used it like a savings account of sorts to accumulate money over time to fund large projects, purchases, or expenses.

There are several big-ticket items the district has earmarked interlocal money toward. One of the items is paying for a roughly $5 million new transportation facility under construction at the Old School Station property. For the past three years, the district has transferred available elementary and high school transportation funds to fund the project.

“So instead of going out for bonds, or going for a loan and getting the money right away, they just slowly accumulated funds for the project,” Williams said.

Interlocal money has also been earmarked for upcoming curriculum purchases and other future expenses such as replacing the artificial turf and track at Legends Stadium when required. In previous years, the district has used the one-time money to purchase land, technology, cover budget shortfalls and loan money to the district’s self-funded insurance plan.

Willams also reminded trustees that $8 million in ESSER money needs to be spent by 2024.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or hmatheson@dailyinterlake.com.