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Selah School District posts modest year-end surplus; administrators warn of declining enrollment
Summary
District officials reported roughly $62.9 million in revenues and about $62.44 million in expenditures for 2023–24, producing an ending cash reserve about $488,000 above projections and a total fund balance of $11.68 million; staff said enrollment is down versus prior years and indicated staffing adjustments will be managed through attrition.
Selah School District administrators told the board they closed the 2023–24 fiscal year with a modest surplus and carried reserves, but warned that declining enrollment will put pressure on future budgets.
Associate Superintendent Stephanie (district operations) reported a slight enrollment uptick of 14 students since October, leaving the district about 12 students under the year’s projection. Finance staff said the district recorded about $62.9 million in actual revenues and roughly $62.44 million in actual expenditures for the year, producing an ending cash reserve roughly $488,000 higher than expected and a total fund balance of $11,681,264, or about 18.71% of actual expenditures.
Chris (business/finance) described several contributors to the favorable result, including a deliberate pause on nonessential hiring, midyear spending targets for professional development and travel, unspent capacity built into the budget, and carryovers in grant-funded programs. He noted the nutrition program has about $860,000 in carryover funds and that the district has over $1 million in various carryovers.
Chris also outlined capital-projects fund balances: approximately $6.7 million in capital projects, $878,000 in unused state-match funds, roughly $3.8 million attributable to a Wilbur rep donation (growing with interest), and about $2 million in non-bond funds—leaving roughly $3.6 million available for future projects outside donor-designated funds.
Officials cautioned that the district anticipates lower incoming enrollment in coming years, which will reduce staff needs and other resource allocations. Chris said staffing adjustments will primarily rely on attrition, and the administration plans to present more detailed projections and a year-end report at the board’s Dec. 12 meeting.
No formal budget actions were taken at the meeting; board members suggested creating a committee or process to consider how to allocate any one-time surplus to enhance student learning without simply restoring pre-cut expenditures.
