Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the District Finance topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Yakima district reports improved fund balance, warns of enrollment decline
Summary
CFO Jake Cooper told the board the district closed FY24-25 with a stronger fund balance (~$25.7M) though $4.5M is a short-term tax anticipation note; staff warned of continued enrollment decline and rising facility maintenance needs.
The Yakima School District reported improved fiscal-year results Nov. 18 even as officials warned of downward enrollment trends that could pressure future budgets.
Chief Financial Officer Jake Cooper said the district's beginning fund balance on Sept. 1, 2024, was about $13.6 million and the ending fund balance reported for FY24-25 was roughly $25.7 million. Cooper noted $4.5 million of the balance reflects a tax anticipation note that will be repaid in December, and that the unreserved fund balance stands near 4.91% after encumbrances.
"When you peel those numbers back, the fund balance is up...we are getting very close to a stable financial position," Cooper said, while cautioning that enrollment projections for fiscal year 2026—27 show continued decline. He said the district is projecting lower enrollment but is monitoring compensating growth in alternative learning and career-and-technical education FTEs.
Cooper reviewed cash trends, emphasizing the monthly cash trough (about $8 million) as a key metric for liquidity. He also described a recent debt-service refinance that created a larger debt service fund but will allow the district to retire significant debt this fiscal year.
Board members asked clarifying questions on restated enrollment numbers, Open Doors and ALE accounting, and whether revenue-to-actual trends would sustain current spending. Cooper explained a restatement of some Open Doors enrollment and additional CTE FTE increases that together will narrow the district's variance to budget.
Separately during the meeting the board approved routine consent items and voted to approve the 2025—26 school improvement plans, actions staff said were necessary to release eligible school funds. The board also received the annual public-access-to-facilities report.
What this means: improved fund metrics create breathing room for operating decisions, but board members and staff reiterated that long-term financial stability depends on enrollment trends, legislative funding decisions and the outcome of the proposed capital bond measure the board also authorized at the meeting.
