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Superintendent Amanda Bush says renewed federal Secure Rural Schools funds ease levy pressure for district
Summary
Amanda Bush said renewed federal Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments for the district are arriving soon and will reduce how much the district must seek from local patrons; she noted the State Department of Education requires a 90‑day operating reserve and said 2025–26 SRS amounts remain unknown.
Amanda Bush, superintendent of the Graceville School District, said renewed federal Secure Rural Schools (SRS) payments will allow the district to scale back how much it planned to ask local patrons for in levies. "The money has been renewed for the Grangeville School District for the next year," she said, adding that the timing of those payments eases short-term budgeting.
Bush explained how the program works and why the timing matters: Idaho County commissioners receive a list from the State Department of Education and the federal government that allocates payments to districts based on average daily attendance. "Every year that it is renewed, the Idaho County commissioners get a list from the State Department of Education and from the federal government saying how much money is coming in and how much each school gets based on their average daily attendance," she said.
On the schedule for incoming funds, Bush told listeners that 2024 funds were imminent and 2025 funds are expected in June, while the amount for the 2025–26 school year remained uncertain. "So we're gonna receive 20 20 four's money any day. We're going to receive 20 20 five's money in June. And we won't know how much money we're going to receive for the 2526 school year clear until the end of next school year," she said.
Bush also highlighted a State Department of Education requirement that districts keep a 90‑day operating reserve. "The State Department of Education requires that all school districts maintain 90 days worth of operating money in their accounts at any given time," she said, and noted that after ‘‘separat[ing] the secure rural schools money with Kooski’’ the district will only have enough to meet that 90‑day requirement, leaving little additional reserve.
Bush framed the district's approach to reserves as cautious stewardship: "Not have too much money in the reserves. Only enough to do what's right and to follow the laws." She closed by saying the known SRS amounts for this year and next make it simpler to propose a reasonable levy to patrons. The district did not present formal motions or votes during these remarks and did not specify exact dollar amounts for allocations.
Following Bush's remarks, there was no additional action recorded in the transcript; she concluded her presentation with a thank-you.
