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Superintendent: Enrollment steady; state budget and special-education funding on board’s radar
Summary
Superintendent told the Cascade School District 5 board that district enrollment is roughly level with last year and that state legislative proposals and an 11% special-education funding cap remain central to budgeting discussions. The board heard the district’s goal is to avoid cuts in next year’s budget.
The superintendent reported the district’s enrollment is essentially unchanged from last year—within roughly three students—saying that holding enrollment steady is critical because “we are basically funded based on the number of students we have.” He briefed the board on early activity in the state legislature and a governor’s starting budget figure discussed by staff (~$11,360,000,000), noting both potential policy shifts and risks for education funding.
The superintendent emphasized special-education funding mechanics: the state double-weights funding for special-education students only up to an 11% cap, a limit the district said has not changed since the early 1990s. He told the board that advocacy groups are seeking to raise or remove the cap and that how that plays out at the legislature will affect Cascade’s finances. The board’s stated goal for the coming budget cycle is to be fully funded and avoid cuts; staff said more precise financial information will arrive with the May forecast.
