MLSD board continues close examination of funding

MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake School Board heard about some measures being taken to cut costs at its meeting Thursday, scrutinizing some items that were brought to it for approval and discussing with Acting Superintendent Carol Lewis some ways of making up the roughly $13 million shortfall.

Much of what Lewis told the board was clarification of the presentation she had given at the special study session, with some numbers updated.

One thing Lewis cited as a factor in the budget shortfall was the difference between expected and actual enrollment. The MLSD has overestimated the number of students it would serve for all but one of the last six years, according to data presented at the board’s May 11 meeting, and that resulted in a gap between anticipated and actual funding. 

“When you do your taxes, you might have more dependents counted or less dependents counted … because you want your taxes to come out a certain way,” she said. “Enrollment projections are like that. The school district is coming up with a number of students that is reasonable, to say we’re going to be funded for this many students. Sometimes districts, depending on where they’re at, they might project low so as not to have overfunding that then has to be pulled back.”

The enrollment projection was done incorrectly this year, she said, which resulted in Moses Lake calculating about $2 million more in funding than it qualified for. During the first few days of the school year, the district counts the students who actually show up. That figure is sent to the state, which then adjusts the funding allocation to match.

“The hope is always that it's more,” Lewis said. “We always hope that more show up than what we projected for because that means we're going to have a healthier budget.”

The board also examined several upcoming student events that were up for approval. The MLHS cross country team is planning again to compete in the Iolani Invitational meet in Hawaii in September, and Board Member Paul Hill asked how that would be paid for.

“Their booster club is planning to fund the whole thing,” Lewis said. “The kids have done fundraising for two years, I understand, and taken it through their booster club.”

Staff time for the trip is either donated or paid for by the boosters, Lewis added, as is transportation to and from the airport.

“Is there a reason we’re approving that if they’re not asking for funds for those trips?” asked Board member Amy Breitenstein.

“For any trip that goes out of state, it requires board approval,” Lewis explained.

The board approved the trip on the condition that the funding come from the booster club. They also approved trips to Boise, Idaho, and to football camp for the high school football team subject to the same provision.

Board Chair Kirryn Jensen said the forms the teams fill out requesting approval don’t give much information as to the expenses involved, and that that would be changing.

“In the future, we're going to have to have a space that's filled out for every trip about expenses and exactly what is being paid for and who's providing what for everything,” she said.

Jensen also brought up the matter of travel expenses for staff for professional development.

“Going forward, it will probably be zero,” Lewis said. “We’re very close to it. We have stopped approving all travel, we've canceled everything that we can (and) we've gotten reimbursements or credits at the places that people were signed up to go to. It's been difficult and painful for some who were expecting to do some things but we just can't do it.”

Joel Martin may be reached via email at jmartin@columbiabasinherald.com.