Mercer Island School District Set to Approve 2013-2014 Budget

Citing an stabilized "funding environment", Mercer Island School District officials released a proposed budget for the 2013-2014 school year on Thursday, Aug. 8 for school board review.

Meeting tonight at Mercer Island City Hall council chambers, school board directors will review a proposed budget made up of several funds — the largest of which is the school district's general fund, meant for the day-to-day operational revenues and expenses. The MISD budgeted $47.7 million in revenues and $48.3 million in spending, an increase of over $2.1 million from last year. Dean Mack, MISD's executive director of business services and human resources, said the district must meet obligations to restore pension funds and salaries of employees who suffered a 1.9 percent cut made in 2011 by the State Legislature.

"They reduced funding of all staff and they're restoring part of what they took away. it's not like we're going to be able to add a bunch of new programs.

Mack said the funding outlook was better than years past for the school district as it continues to increase enrollment, budgeting for an average anticipated enrollment of 4,126.2 students for the new school year, starting on Tuesday, Sept. 3, 2013.

Enrollment at the elementary school level will increase slightly this year, while enrollment at the middle school will increase by approximately 2.6 percent. Enrollment at the high school will decrease slightly this year and then resume growing in 2014-15.

Mack said the Mercer Island Schools Foundation’s Bridge the Gap fundraiser this year provided enough funding to hire 17 teachers to reduce student-to-teacher ratios across the K-12 grade span.  These funds, along with use of approximately $600,000 in fund balance, allowed the MISD to maintain current staffing and programs, and maintain at least a 4 percent unreserved fund balance for the general fund.

"This financial plan was designed to continue the current year’s priorities around providing programs that prepare each student for success in the cognitive, global and digital world of the 21st century, along with implementing the program priorities established by the superintendent and school board," Mack said.

The MISD's state "budget priorities" are: Maintaining and improving student-to-teacher ratios; Special Education programming and staffing; Staffing to support the growing bilingual enrollment; Support for the new evaluation system and the mentoring of staff; Professional Development; Staffing and support for Learning Assistance and Different Learners, funding an Elementary Art Specialist; and expanding facilities to meet program needs (Portables as needed)

The district currently has just over $6 million in general fund cash flow and is trying to keep it at around $5 million — a sufficient cushion to prevent any shortfalls.

Thanks to savings from previous years, Mack also proposed plans to spend a total of $7,872,625 from the MISD's capital projects fund in order to pay for several Improvements to school facilities, including refurbished restrooms at Islander Stadium ($100,000), Facility Upgrades ($1,500,000), Fire Alarm Upgrades ($242,625), Generator/Electrical Upgrades at Islander Middle School ($30,000), Portables ($450,000), Roofs ($800,000), Security Alarms ($250,000) and various Technology Improvements ($4,500,000).

The MISD also plans to purchase 3 school buses this year from its transportation fund, at a cost of $500,000. The money will pay for a seventy-eight passenger bus and two twenty-two passenger special education bus, with a lift.

Mack also budgeted $4,690,675 to continue paying off the school district's modest debt, and $2,153,840 for student activities (ASB), with roughly 1/3 of the cost paid for by the school district and the rest funded by fees, concessions and ticket sales to athletic events.

The budget will be placed on the August 29, 2013 board agenda for a public hearing and adoption by the board.