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Camas superintendent reports enrollment above projection, preliminary surplus; district cites gains on state assessments
Summary
Superintendent John reported preliminary enrollment at 6,843 full-time-equivalent students, above the district projection of 6,758 FTE, said the district expects a modest surplus, and presented spring state assessment gains and English learner progress during the Sept. 22 school board meeting.
Superintendent John told the Camas School District Board on Sept. 22 that preliminary enrollment is above the district's projection and that the district expects a modest end-of-year surplus.
"The projection that we went with, remember, we went a bit conservative, was 6,758, FTE. And right now we're sitting at 6,843," John said, noting the official state apportionment count will be available in October.
John put the enrollment figures in budget context, saying cost-containment measures so far are producing a small positive end fund balance. He added the district will wait for the October apportionment before finalizing budget decisions. "We're counting on a little bit of surplus," he said.
The superintendent also discussed an audit finding tied to the district's ALE (Alternative Learning Experience) program. He said auditors identified weaknesses in internal controls for prior school years and that the district will likely have to return $73,500: "So we will likely have to return $73,500. Instead of writing a check, really what happens is they'll just remove that from our allocation."
On instruction, district assessment lead Lisa presented spring state assessment results and diagnostic screening data, pointing to sustained gains in early reading measures. "I love the children that we serve. I love the adults that we serve alongside. I also love data," Lisa said before showing results.
Lisa told the board that aggregate Camas results for English language arts, math and science were "about 20 percentage points higher than the state in each of those subject areas," and that when the district considers only students scoring at the state's level 3 or 4 (proficient/advanced), Camas figures were roughly 25 points higher than the state. She also highlighted progress on early literacy screening (DIBELS) and English learner outcomes (WIDA), saying Camas showed larger year-to-year increases in percent proficient and percent progressing than statewide averages.
The presentation linked assessment work to the district's multi-tiered system of supports and literacy professional learning begun in 2021-22, which district staff said focuses on word recognition then language comprehension. Lisa said the district will continue deeper analysis to understand where gains are concentrated and where additional support is needed.
John also described a new local partnership: discovery-area students were invited to an industry anniversary event and a mentorship program kickoff with nLight, a company that makes lasers. He described the relationship as a local STEM partnership that will include teacher and scientist collaboration.
The superintendent and Lisa said more detailed, itemized assessment results and the official apportionment will be published after the October state count and when staff finish uploading complete comparative displays.
Meeting documents show a planned shift of the superintendent budget committee start to November to align with finalized projections.
