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Budget report: rising special‑education enrollment strains Meridian staffing plans
Summary
Finance director Daniel Jordan reported a slight dip in core enrollment but a sharper rise in special‑education students (up 34), a healthy running‑start uptick, a $167,000 bus purchase, and an ending fund balance of about $2.9 million; the board discussed staffing and post‑budget requests.
Daniel Jordan, the district’s finance presenter, reviewed March enrollment and the budget projection. He said core program enrollment slipped slightly (budgeted 15.82, actual 15.76), but special‑education enrollment increased by 34 students this year and running start participation rose to 78 versus a budgeted ~60.
Jordan reviewed the district’s cash position (beginning fund balance about $3.2 million; ending fund balance reported at roughly $2,913,000) and noted elevated February expenditures tied to salary payments and a fall running‑start payment to Whatcom Community College of $237,000. He said the district has spent about 47.5% of its annual budget year‑to‑date and that post‑budget additions (requests to add staff midyear) remain the mechanism for addressing enrollment‑driven staffing needs.
On transportation, Jordan said the district purchased a bus this fiscal year for about $167,000 and that the transportation vehicle fund and depreciation schedule changes will prompt reevaluation of the replacement plan; with statewide depreciation windows extended, he said purchases could slow to roughly one bus per year and the district will budget for higher maintenance.
Board members debated when to approve midyear staffing additions versus waiting for fall enrollment to stabilize. Jordan and others said the district is improving its anticipatory budgeting to reduce the frequency and financial pressure of post‑budget requests, but added that sustained increases in special‑education enrollment will require targeted staffing additions.
