Budget

2024-25 Final Budget

• 2024-25 Wenatchee School District F-195 Budget Overview
• 2024-25 Wenatchee School District F-195 Budget
• 2024-25 Wenatchee School District F-195 Four-year Budget Summary Plan

Proposed Budget Reductions Summary for 2024-2025 

The Wenatchee School District’s enrollment has been on the decline since 2015. Since that time, 916 full-time equivalents (FTE) have left the district. School districts are funded based on enrollment, which means when enrollments go down, the district receives fewer funds to pay for staffing. Staffing makes up approximately 85% of the district’s budget. In effect, the district must make reductions to balance staffing with enrollment.

Enrollment Decline
Based on projections, the number of students enrolling in our schools is expected to keep decreasing due to lower birth rates, smaller kindergarten classes, and new private and charter school educational options in our community. Additionally, the school district is facing a reduction in Local Effort Assistance (LEA) funds, Regionalization funds, and Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds while salaries and benefits are increasing. 

Reduction Target Amount
As a result, the school district has set a budget reduction target between $8 million to $9 million for the 2024-2025 academic year. To reach this target and balance staffing with enrollment, the district has proposed a reduction strategy that includes making staffing reductions at the elementary, middle and high school levels. The plan also includes additional district-wide staffing reductions and reductions in materials supplies and operational costs (MSOC).

Budget Reduction Plan
Below is an illistration of the budget reductions the district is proposing for the 2024-2025 school year. This plan allows us to reduce $8.9 million in staffing costs and materials supplies and operations costs, which represents an annual savings to the district. 

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Middle and High School Schedule Changes
Staffing reductions at the middle and high school levels will happen through schedule changes that require less staff to operate. Through these changes, all three middle schools will operate on a common daily schedule and the Wenatchee High School will change from a 4x4 block schedule to a six period schedule.

School Closure
At the elementary level, where enrollment decline has been the most significant, the district is proposing the conolidations of elementary schools from seven to six. This proposal would close Columbia Elementary in the 2024-2025 school year. Students at Columbia would be reassigned to Lincoln and Washington Elemenarys to continue their education. 

The district will hold two public hearings to receive testimony on the proposed closure of Columbia from the public on March 21 and April 18 at 6 PM in the Wenatchee High School Commons, 1101 Millerdale Ave. The school board will make a final decision on the closure on May 14, 2024 at 6 PM during their regular board meeting at the district’s central office 235 Sunset Ave. Wenatchee.

Budget Hearing Notice 

The Wenatchee School Board of Directors will hold a budget hearing on August 13, 2024 commencing at 6:00 pm for the purpose of receiving comments from the public on the 2024-25 budget.  Any person may appear virtually or in person at the hearing and be heard for or against any part of the 2024-25 budget, the four-year budget plan, or any proposed changes to uses of enrichment funding under RCW 28A.505.240.  To comment, a public comment form must be completed prior to the meeting. The form is available at wenatcheeschools.org or at the meeting. Pursuant to RCW 28A.505.050 and RCW 28A.505.060, the Board will hold a regular meeting on August 27, 2024, commencing at 6:00 pm in the District Office at 235 Sunset Avenue, where they will take action to adopt the budget of the District for the ensuing 2024-25 fiscal year. At the August 27th meeting, the Board shall fix and determine the appropriation from each fund contained in the 2024-25 budget and shall, by resolution, adopt the 2024-25 budget, the four-year budget plan summary, and the four-year enrollment projection. 2024-25 budget information is available by contacting the District Office at 509-663-8161 or by visiting at 235 Sunset Avenue. 

• 2023-24 Budget Full
• 2023-24 Budget Summary
• 2023-24 -Four Year Projection
• 2023-24 Budget Hearing (Video)
  • 2023-2024 Budget Presentation

• Understanding School Funding
• 2022-23 Fall Budget Update
• 2022-23 Budget Full
• 2022-23 Budget Summary
• 2022-23 4-Year Projection
• Budget Hearing (Video)
  • 2022-23 Budget Presentation (August 9, 2023)
• Board Budget Workshop (January 23, 2023)
• Board Budget Workshop (February 13, 2023)
• Board Meeting: Budget Reduction Senario Selection (February 28, 2023)

• 2021-22 Budget
• 2021-22 Four Year Projection
• Budget Presentation
• Budget Hearing

Budget Information Session
Wednesday, August 21
6-7 p.m.
Wenatchee High School, 1101 Millerdale Ave.

The purpose of this special meeting is to share information and hear from the public about the District’s budget and proposed estimates 30-cent levy increase. 

Handout
Power Point Presentation 
Video

The District projects a budget deficit of 1.6 million for the 19-20 year without a levy increase due to changes in the state school funding model and subsequent salary and benefit-cost increases, in addition to declining enrollment projections. Approximately 4.5 million in cuts were made by the District for the 19-20 school year.

Budget Challenges

• Increase in salary costs is exceeding funding
• School Employee Benefits Board (SEBB) - District cost has increased, the number of staff who qualify has increased. 
• Projected Enrollment Decline- Birth rate decreases, charter school
• Regionalization - State allocated rates decreasing resulting. in approximately 3 million loss in revenue over six year

McCleary - New School Funding Model
The state legislature increased the state school tax to provide extra funding for school employee compensation but reduced the local operating levy collection amount as a result of the “McCleary decision”
Public schools are funded by state and federal dollars, grants and local voter-approved levy dollars. 

• Wenatchee voters approved a local levy of $2.92. 
• The State capped local school levies at $1.50 as part of levy equalization and increased the state tax.
• The McCleary decision contributed to the budget deficit in 19-20 and beyond.

Budget Reductions 
The District cut 4.5 million in staffing and operational cost in 19-20. Like many school districts in our state, we were faced with budget challenges that will impact our district in the foreseeable future.  In February 2019 the Board approved a budget reduction scenario that included 4.5 million in staffing and operational cost reductions to put us in a healthier financial position.

Levy Request 
The District is proposing an increase to the levy estimated at 30-cents per $1,000 of assessed value. This increase is a necessary measure to avoid deeper staff cuts and will lessen the impact on the District’s budget for the next two years.

• The legislature lifted the levy lid to $2.50 during the last legislative session, giving school districts authority to restore previously voter-approved levies rates. 
• The proposed levy increase would provide about $806,000 in revenue for the 19-20 school year and $1.58 million for the 20-21 school year.
• The estimated 30-cent levy increase would is estimated to increase the levy rate from $1.50 to $1.80 for every $1,000 of assessed value. 

Effect of No Levy Increase

• The District projects deeper additional staffing cuts will need to be made in 2020 and beyond if the estimated 30-cent levy increase is not approved.
• The District’s fund balance will decrease at a faster rate.
• The continued declining fund balance may lead to a bond credit rating downgrade. 
   

• 2020-21 Four-Year Projection