Bellevue School Board approves $7.3 million general fund extension and petitions OSPI for binding conditions oversight

The Bellevue School District Board of Directors voted June 26 to file a general fund budget extension of $7,294,612 with the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction, increasing the district’s 2024–25 general fund appropriation from $425,397,592 to $432,692,204.

Board action followed presentations by district finance staff showing the district will close 2024–25 with a negative ending fund balance. Executive Director of Business Services Jason Pollock told the board the district projects revenues of about $418 million and expenditures of about $432 million for the fiscal year, leaving a projected negative ending fund balance of roughly $5.9 million. Pollock said the shortfall results from both lower-than-expected revenues and higher expenditures.

Superintendent Kelly Aramaki explained what the next step means: “Binding conditions is basically state oversight status triggered when a school district ends the fiscal year with a negative fund balance,” she said, adding that OSPI requires a detailed financial recovery plan, enhanced budget monitoring and approval, and monthly meetings among the…