Astoria SD 1 staff outlines state school fund formula, transportation costs and special-education staffing

At a study session, Astoria SD 1 staff gave a detailed overview of how the district’s state school fund is calculated, the timing of state reconciliations and district-specific budget figures the board will use in upcoming budget decisions.

Staff explained the formula as the general-purpose grant plus the transportation grant, minus local revenue. The general-purpose grant starts with a teacher-experience adjustment and fixed factors the state applies; staff said some parameters (for example, the $25 and $4,500 constants used in state calculations) have not changed in years. “The general purpose grant calculation ... plus the transportation grant equals our total formula,” staff said.

The district’s current estimate presented to the board showed a formula total of about $24.5 million before subtracting local revenue. Staff reported estimating roughly $9.22 million in local revenue, leaving a state school fund grant near $15 million for budgeting purposes; staff cautioned that those figures are second-period estimates subject to later reconciliation.

Transportation was highlighted as a large, relatively reliable expense: staff reported transportation costs “just over 1.8 million,” and explained that the state reimburses roughly 70% of eligible transportation costs through the transportation grant. The board heard staffing counts for transportation (director, dispatcher, mechanic, 17 bus drivers and three van drivers) and that some routes and noneducational trips are not eligible for the 70% reimbursement.

On special education, staff said the district used $748,000 in service credits to purchase staff support for the year. Current staffing purchased with those credits includes a 0.95 FTE serving about 115 students, a 1.0 speech FTE serving roughly 30 students, a 1.0 school psychologist handling about 130 evaluations, and other contracted supports.

Staff walked the board through the state’s timing: districts submit membership and estimates in January, the state issues second-period counts during the following January, and final reconciliations occur in May–July of the next year; this cadence creates short-term cash-flow considerations for the district when enrollment changes midyear.

Board members asked questions about assumptions and timing; staff said the district will bring additional data for the regular meeting and the budget committee as it finalizes the upcoming budget cycle.