Approved School Budget Scrapes Together More Funds

The school board’s approved budget Wednesday night included an additional amount that was previously absent from the . The finalized payroll system revealed an additional $300,000 saved from un-filled positions and fewer supplies expenditures, according to Chief Business Official Raul Parungao.

The received an additional $33,000 Monday from the . The healthcare district had originally approved $525,000 to the school district, $63,000 less than the district had requested. The $33,000 will now fund an additional 30 percent of the outreach specialist position. This amount is not currently in the budget so it will appear in the next interim budget report.

Parungao added that there were two additional PTA monetary commitments.

This year’s budget will deplete the district’s reserves to 3.2 percent, barely above the state minimum of 3 percent.

“This does not give us any allowance for an emergency without going below that minimum level,” Parungao said.

Other revenue measures that the district could take were additional composting efforts. Though the materials in the cafeteria are 90 percent compostable, the district said it was in discussions with Recology to increase that number even more. Superintendent Jan Christensen suggested using compostable garbage bags. 

Because Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed the legislature’s budget on June 15, the district will have to brace itself for potential changes to the budget. However, state law mandates a budget approval by June 30.

“We’ll approve this budget and then it may hold, it may not hold,” trustee Shelley Masur said.

“But we thank you for all the hard work that went into this budget,” she said the district’s budget team.

The district may have to retreat to the drawing board for another iteration when the budget is passed.

Wednesday's board meeting was the last for the 2010-2011 school year. Trustees and district administration will meet again in August.