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Granite Falls reports modest fund-balance growth, flags special-education and bus-replacement pressures
Summary
Business officer Marshall Cruz told the board the district's general fund is about $970,000 stronger than last year and that the district expects a roughly 6% fund balance at year-end, while special-education costs, utilities and transportation remain pressure points; board discussed a $70,000 grant for plumbing fixtures and bus-replacement timing amid a likely state depreciation change.
Marshall Cruz presented an executive summary of the district business report at the March 11 meeting, saying enrollment overall is close to budget though Crossroads enrollment is down due to a Lake Stevens agreement sunsetting and K–12 enrollment is up.
Cruz said the district's general fund balance is roughly $970,000 better than this time last year and that conservatively the district is forecasting a fund balance around 6% at year-end. He summarized revenue and expenditure projections: a beginning fund balance of $2.37 million, about $46.5 million in revenue and roughly $46 million in expenditures in the forecast presented to the board.
Cruz and board members discussed special-education funding and encumbrances. Cruz said the district is still operating with a special-education deficit in places despite additional state safety-net funding, and that the safety-net process had been cumbersome to access. He also explained that some encumbrances in the Skyward system may overstate outside-services totals until older purchase orders are cleared.
On facilities and capital spending, Cruz confirmed the district received a plumbing-fixture replacement grant that will cover the work; board members asked that the $70,000 grant be reflected in the meeting notes. Cruz also reported recent vehicle activity: "We did get a new bus this just a couple of days ago," and later noted, "A fulls size big bus is 185 now" and that a smaller bus figure was cited as 145 (figures given in the presentation). He warned of a likely state budget change that would move bus depreciation schedules to 15 years, which he said would reduce replacement funding availability over time and increase maintenance burdens.
Board members and staff agreed the executive-summary format would stay in packets while the full report (with detailed comparative tables required for audit) remains available in the board packet. Cruz said the full business report is in the packet and invited suggestions for additional information in future executive summaries.
