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District reports slight enrollment dip and $970,000 state apportionment shortfall; state denies waiver, last day set for June 23
Summary
Heather Corten, the district’s director of business services, told the board South Kitsap remained below budgeted enrollment by 84 FTEs and is about $970,000 short in state apportionment revenue; the superintendent said the state denied a waiver for missed days, making June 23 the district’s final half day of the year.
Heather Corten, director of business services, presented the district’s January–February budget status and enrollment update. In February the district saw a small enrollment increase from the prior month but remained below budget by 84 full‑time equivalent students. Corten said the district is “still down about 970,000 in state apportionment funding.”
Corten described revenue and expenditure trends, noting the largest upcoming revenue jump will be April levy collections and describing cash-flow seasonality tied to levy and state-apportionment timing. On expenditures she explained a classification issue that can make supply budgets appear negative when purchases meet the board policy threshold for capital outlay: “If we made purchases in our supply bucket that went over that threshold, then we have to categorize it as a 9…It’s a classification issue,” she said.
Superintendent Tim Winters addressed calendar consequences related to missed school days this winter. The district experienced three snow days and two power-outage days. Winters said the district applied for a waiver to avoid extending the school year but the state denied the waiver because of statutory language requiring evidence of at least three missed days per incident before considering a waiver. Winters said the state response was: “nope. Sorry. You don't get any any of those days waived.” As a result, the district’s last day of school will be a half day on June 23.
Parent commenter Jeffrey Perkins raised calendar concerns during public comment, saying the district’s new calendar model has placed unexpected childcare and meal burdens on families: “It required us to be very creative in terms of how we were able to to do things…A lot of us are dual income, and don't have the flexibility,” he said. The superintendent acknowledged the calendar is a two‑year adoption and said the district is compiling feedback and will share results in the Friday report.
Corten told the board projected enrollment declines are typical in spring and that the annual averaging method used by the state reduces the impact of short-term dips. She said current estimates put the district close to prior-year enrollment trends and that the district will monitor impacts to apportionment revenue for the rest of the year.
No emergency budget adjustments were approved at the meeting; board members asked staff to continue compiling community and staff feedback on the calendar and communicate planned follow-up.
