Grand Coulee Dam SD talks native policies, levy

Grand Coulee Dam School District Superintendent Paul Turner said the district’s board of directors reviewed the upcoming levy election, enrollment and tribal policies during its Monday meeting.

“Our (Indian Policies and Procedures), every year, we look at those and review them, then we go and if we make any changes, we have to take that up to the tribal council and review the changes that we’ve made,” Turner said.

While no changes were made this year, Turner said those policies and the support of tribal leaders impact the district’s impact aid application.

According to the National Association of Federally Impacted Schools, the impact aid application must be submitted by Jan. 31 of each year. The applications help allocate federal funding to districts that are considered federally disadvantaged, such as those that are near military installations, Native American reservations or other federally operated properties that are associated with negative economic impacts.

Turner said the district has students from the 12 nations of the Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation. These nations include the Chelan, Chief Joseph Band of the Nez Perce, Colville, Entiat, Lakes, Methow, Moses-Columbia, Nespelem, Okanagan, Palus, San Poil and Wenatchi tribes.

Continuing with the funding issues, Turner said the board also reviewed the district’s enrollment. While the district began the year with 698 students fully enrolled, that number has grown to 707 students. This impacts the amount of funding received by the district from the state on a per-student basis, he said.

According to the Washington Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, Washington state spends more than $11,000 per student, based on enrollment. As enrollment grows, funding is allocated to growing districts.

Turner said the district’s board of directors also received an update on the upcoming Feb. 8 levy election.

Up for GCDSD voters to decide on are two measures for an enrichment levy and a capital levy. The enrichment levy would continue the current rate of $2.50 per $1,000 valuation of a property. The enrichment levy is expected to provide between $900,000 and $1 million annually to support day-to-day operations for district campuses. A second measure would establish a $1.70 per $1,000 valuation to make improvements to campuses and is expected to provide about $500,000 to the district.

Turner said without the approval of the capital improvement levy improvements to district campuses would have to be placed on hold. Turner previously told the Herald any capital improvement funds from the levy would be used to repair and upgrade campus facilities that are outdated or unsafe.

“Like I told the board, if the capital levy fails, basically, we just quit upgrading our buildings,” Turner said.

R. Hans Miller can be reached via email at rmiller@columbiabasinherald.com.