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District reports slight enrollment shortfall, says April levy collections are stronger than a year ago
Summary
Longview finance staff told the board the district is tracking slightly below budget for average annual student FTE (first reported as just under 2 FTE below budget for April) and that April actuals placed the district about 68 FTE below the annual budgeted average; levy collections are running roughly 6% ahead of last year.
Finance staff presented April enrollment data and the March financial report to the board on April 27, reporting a modest shortfall against budgeted averages and overall revenue trends that remain roughly in line with expectations.
Patty (finance staff) told the board that average annual full‑time‑equivalent (FTE) student counts — the metric the district uses for state apportionment and budget planning — had “dipped” and were described verbally as "just under 2" FTE below the monthly budgeted average for the reporting cycle. Moving to April actuals, Patty said the district was sitting "68 students below what we actually budgeted" for the year‑to‑date average. She also said March levy collections were running about 6% higher than at the same point last year, which supports the district’s near‑term fund‑balance outlook.
Patty emphasized the district continues to monitor enrollment closely, with two enrollment performance cycles remaining in the school year and additional counts in May and June that factor into the average annual calculation used for state funding. She said revenues and expenditures as a percentage of budget are "trending right where we need to be" given the timing of tax collections and normal seasonality in district cash flow.
Board members asked clarifying questions about timing and how enrollment data translate into staffing and class‑size decisions; finance staff reiterated that the district will provide updated numbers in May and June and that fund‑balance trends will be clearer after April tax collections are posted.
