District to hold 2018-19 school year budget hearing at next board meeting

The Grand Coulee Dam School District will invite public comment on its 2018-19 school year budget at its July 23 board meeting at 6 p.m. in the high school library in Coulee Dam.

Sally Ryan, the district’s business manager contracted from Educational Service District 171, will present the budget, and people will be able to comment on it if they wish.

The budget, estimated at $12 million, will not take funds that would be generated from the proposed capital projects levy into account.

“We have to build a budget on facts,” Superintendent Paul Turner said. “We can’t budget that in because we don’t know for sure.”

If the levy passes in August, then the budget will be readjusted to account for the money it would bring in and the expenses for which it would be used.

If the levy doesn’t pass in August, the school board plans to put it on the ballot again for the November election.

“We may have to reduce our savings account, our cash reserves,” Turner said about a budget without levy funds. “We’re getting creative in how we’re budgeting things right now.”

The capital levy is largely for infrastructure projects that have so far been neglected due to lack of funds, but would also bring in money for technology, money that would then not have to come out of the general fund.

Turner doesn’t anticipate cutting programs or staff in the budget simply because.

The budget for the current 2017-18 school year is $11,036,901.

The 2018-19 school year proposed budget is estimated at $12 million and includes the cost of everything from curriculum, staff earnings, transportation, supplies, and more.