Yakima School Board meeting to discuss $17 million shortfall
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YAKIMA, Wash. --The budget was approved at tonight's school board meeting. Expenses grew by nearly 20-million dollars over the past four years, but administrators agreed to dip into their reserves to keep their current staff and educational programs in place.
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Yakima's School Board could decide Tuesday night to approve a budget that falls $17 million short. Administrators maintain there won't be changes in the classroom. Instead, money set aside for emergencies could be used to shore up the budget.
Bonnie Galvan's son is a special education student in Yakima. The district's projected $17 million shortfall worries her.
"I feel like I'm giving, but not receiving the education he should be getting," said Bobbie Galvan, a parent.
Administrators say a drop in student enrollment, less stimulus money and higher costs put the district in the red.
The school district is considering balancing the budget by using its reserves.
If the current proposed budget is approved, the school district will be left with only a fifth of its reserve funds for all of next year. That's roughly $4 million.
District expenses grew by nearly $20-million between the '08-'09 school year and last year. The district says a conservative approach to spending will help save money moving ahead.
Assistant Superintendent Scott Izutsu said the shortfall means not buying new school buses for the aging fleet.
This isn't the first year the district has come up short.
Izutsu said programs with higher costs like special education have to be reviewed.
Bobbie feels the program is already falling short on her son.
"It is alarming because it makes me feel what cut, what child is going to be cut. What one child are they going to skip over educating, keep passing through the system," Galvan said.
The district still maintains teachers and classroom services would be the last area cut.
Despite a grim financial outlook, administrators hold on to hope finances will improve in light of this year's Supreme Court that schools aren't getting enough attention from the state.
___________________________________________________
Yakima's School Board could decide Tuesday night to approve a budget that falls $17 million short. Administrators maintain there won't be changes in the classroom. Instead, money set aside for emergencies could be used to shore up the budget.
Bonnie Galvan's son is a special education student in Yakima. The district's projected $17 million shortfall worries her.
"I feel like I'm giving, but not receiving the education he should be getting," said Bobbie Galvan, a parent.
Administrators say a drop in student enrollment, less stimulus money and higher costs put the district in the red.
The school district is considering balancing the budget by using its reserves.
If the current proposed budget is approved, the school district will be left with only a fifth of its reserve funds for all of next year. That's roughly $4 million.
District expenses grew by nearly $20-million between the '08-'09 school year and last year. The district says a conservative approach to spending will help save money moving ahead.
Assistant Superintendent Scott Izutsu said the shortfall means not buying new school buses for the aging fleet.
This isn't the first year the district has come up short.
Izutsu said programs with higher costs like special education have to be reviewed.
Bobbie feels the program is already falling short on her son.
"It is alarming because it makes me feel what cut, what child is going to be cut. What one child are they going to skip over educating, keep passing through the system," Galvan said.
The district still maintains teachers and classroom services would be the last area cut.
Despite a grim financial outlook, administrators hold on to hope finances will improve in light of this year's Supreme Court that schools aren't getting enough attention from the state.
As a property taxpayer, I have a few questions.
1) Why does the school district have such a large reserve fund? In my mind, that means that we taxpayers have been too generous.
2) If their budget is in deficit, why haven't there been a concerted effort to trim expenses to meet the shortfall?
3. Instead of buying new school buses, why not do what the private trucking does, renovate and rebuild their rolling stock? That is much cheaper than buying new.
4) Finally, I believe it to be extremely tiring to have to dig up more money every time a public funded entity has a shortfall. The entity need to get control of their finances by whatever means is at their disposal. That is what taxpayers have to do when inflation and/or reduced income happens.