Several Clark County school boards approved their districts’ annual budgets last week.
The Battle Ground school board on Aug. 27 approved its annual budget, the details of which were previously reported in The Columbian. The budget included very small increases in spending and revenue, resulting in a slight surplus, which the board voted to use to bolster its strapped reserves.
Also on Monday, the Woodland school board unanimously voted for its district’s budget proposal, said Stacy Brown, director of business services.
The Woodland School District expects to take in about $21.4 million, up from $20.7 million the year before. It plans to spend a little more than that, about $21.6 million, a 2-percent increase over the previous year.
The difference will be made up out of its reserves, Brown said.
Enrollment is expected to rise by about 30 students, to just more than 2,000 students. No teachers were added for this school year.
The Washougal School Board on Tuesday unanimously approved its district budget for the coming school year.
Both revenue and expenditures rose slightly over last year’s figures, said Rosann Lassman, the district’s business services manager.
The district expects to spend about $1.2 million more than it takes in, Lassman said. It will make up the difference from its savings accounts.
Revenues are estimated to be $27.6 million, which is $500,000 more than last year, mostly due to expected enrollment increases.
Expenditures in the district of more than 2,800 students will be about $28.8 million, Lassman said. That figure is $800,000 over last year’s number.
The increase in expenditures partly is due to the district’s hiring of the equivalent of four full-time teachers, and its carrying over of four teachers who had to be hired after last year’s budget already was approved.
But most of the increase in expenditures stems from investments made into the district’s sports facilities this year.
About $800,000 will be spent to replace the floor of the high school gymnasium, Lassman said. The current flooring was installed in the 1950s, she said. The football field also will get new turf.Superintendent Dawn Tarzian will receive a salary of $128,000 this school year, same as last year.
Jacques Von Lunen: 360-735-4515; jacques.vonlunen@columbian.com; http://www.twitter.com/col_schools.
