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Board reviews November budget status and capital projects; staff signals possible short‑term borrowing and clarifies PSE easement
Summary
Deputy Superintendent Jolynn Berge told the North Shore School District board on Jan. 13 that state funding uses a 10‑month annual average and can be trued up, which can affect district revenue; staff also signaled they may seek board authorization next month to borrow against capital if cash‑flow pressures require it.
Deputy Superintendent Jolynn Berge presented the district’s November 2024 budget status report and answered board questions about enrollment, state funding, and cash flow at the North Shore School District board working session on Jan. 13.
Berge explained how state funding is calculated and when it is trued up: the district’s state allocation is based on a 10‑month annual average, and if average enrollment declines later in the fiscal year that can reduce revenue. She said the timing of state payments and year‑end truing can create cash‑flow pressure for districts.
"It's a 10 month annual average, so anything could bring our average down," Berge said, adding that a district could see a shortfall that must be addressed with state adjustments, emergency appropriations or a supplemental request in the next legislative session.
Board members asked whether the district could be asked to "right size" budgets and who would adjust allocations; Berge and other staff explained that OSPI and the governor’s office manage state allocations and that supplemental actions sometimes occur in the legislature.
On capital finances, staff told the board they expect to ask for a resolution next month authorizing the district to borrow against capital to maintain cash flow if required; staff said the request would prepare the district for a low point in tax receipts later in the fiscal year and described a likely trigger in June or July if needed.
The board also reviewed capital projects and accepted two projects under $1,000,000: phase 3 of interior improvements at Innovation Lab High School and work tied to the Maywood Hills Elementary modernization project. Staff reported a signed Puget Sound Energy easement associated with the Maywood Hills (Kenmore Elementary area) modernization project and board members asked for a parcel map and exhibit to clarify where the easement lies relative to the school parcel.
Board members asked for additional detail on several line items and month-to-month variance explanations; staff agreed to provide clarifications in the Friday update and future reports. Board members also discussed the timing of state tax collections and previous years’ irregular payment patterns that affect the district’s June cash position.
No formal budget actions or borrowing resolutions were taken Jan. 13; staff said they would return with a request for a resolution if and when a short‑term borrowing authorization becomes necessary.
