MLSD board reviews 22-23 proposed budget

MOSES LAKE — Moses Lake School District officials are projecting enrollment in preschool through high school to be the equivalent of 8,028 students for the 2022-23 school year. Stefanie Lowry, MLSD director of finance, reviewed the proposed budget for the new school year for the Moses Lake School Board at the district’s regular meeting Thursday.

Including all funds, the 2022-23 budget is projected to be about $49.4 million. That includes about $17.94 million in the general fund, which pays for most school operations and personnel.

Lowry said the actual P-12 enrollment for the 2021-22 school year was the equivalent of 7,993 students, less than the budget projection of the equivalent of 8,060 students.

Since state education funding is allocated based on the number of students in school, the enrollment shortfall resulted in less funding.

“That probably was an impact of about $75,000 to $80,000 in apportionment,” Lowry said.

School budgets are broken into five separate funds, depending on the intended purpose.

Money in the capital projects fund is allocated for construction projects, and for 2022-23 that fund is budgeted at $26.95 million.

That includes funding to complete the construction of Vanguard Academy, Lowry said, and the purchase of a new portable classroom for the MLSD preschool program.

“And initial planning and work to start looking at modernization and repairs for the high school, and (planning for) elementary (school) 12, including site purchase,” Lowry said.

The bonds sold for construction projects are paid for through the debt service fund, which was budgeted at about $3.72 million. The Associated Student Body fund was budgeted at about $746,800.

“These are our student-generated budgets,” Lowry said. “At the individual building level, we did add capacity for Vanguard (Academy).”

The transportation vehicle fund was budgeted at about $47,800. Money in the TVF can only be used to buy vehicles.

The budget projection includes the equivalent of about 220 students in the MLSD Digital program and the equivalent of about 220 students in Running Start. The equivalent of about 105 students is projected for the district’s Open Doors program.

Running Start allows qualified high school juniors and seniors to attend college classes and get both college and high school credit. The Open Doors program provides support to students who need help getting the high school credits they need to graduate.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com. You can also read her work by downloading the Columbia Basin Herald app, available on the Android and Apple devices.