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Eatonville administrators warn enrollment drop and Forecast 5 raise budget risks
Summary
District staff reported lower enrollment trends that reduced revenue and cited Forecast 5 projections that could require a budget extension; some expenditure categories are over budget and staff said they are exploring shifts to avoid overspending.
District staff told the Eatonville School District board that a drop in enrollment this school year has tightened the district's financial picture and that the district's Forecast 5 projection shows a potential budget gap.
"You can see here ... our enrollment went from 1,877 in September to 1,846 in June, for an average of 1,868," a district finance staff member said, adding that the decline has affected budget expectations. The presenter said alternative learning enrollment was tracked separately and that the district's fall-to-summer averages are used in state apportionment calculations.
On the district's financial status, the staff member said, "If you take your actual expenditures for the year plus your encumbrances, we only have a $169,000 left for incidentals." She said Forecast 5 projects expenditures could exceed budget by about $351,000 but noted revenue projections are slightly ahead of budget in the current forecast. The presenter described possible causes and said the district is reviewing options to avoid a budget extension.
Officials identified specific areas of concern: food services, transportation and basic education staffing and services showed overages in the packets reviewed by the board. The staff member said the district had budgeted to draw down about $800,000 from fund balance and was watching fund-balance forecasts provided by the state.
The staff member told the board the district had received a one-time MSOC allocation in June, and that the state Education Service District had advised caution in budgeting federal Title II and Title IV grants until their status was confirmed. "We're going to apply for every grant that we can, but we're not going to count on it," she said.
Board members asked questions about apportionment timing, carryover of federal grants and whether the district would need a formal budget extension. The presenter said staff were working with the superintendent and business office to shift encumbrances and monitor revenue changes, and indicated a budget extension remains a possibility if spending trends continue.
