Budget Update
We are beginning our budget process in Meridian School District. As you have likely heard, school districts around the state are experiencing significant budget challenges. This is due to a combination of factors including inflation, decreased student enrollment and loss of revenues.
School district budgets are complicated and a number of considerations contribute to the final amount we are allocated from the state. This website, WA School Funding, developed by WASA (Washington Association of School Administrators) attempts to simplify and explain school funding in Washington.
While finance isn’t the most exciting topic, it is vitally important, and we want to ensure our community understands it by sharing regular budget updates with you and by providing opportunities for feedback.
In May, we shared with you that we were able to balance our budget to address a shortfall of nearly $2 million. We were able to achieve this through attrition, moving staff into other roles, and furlough days for principals and district leadership. Looking forward, 2025-26 is going to be another challenging year and the tactics we used previously may not be enough.
Levies and Bonds
In February, voters in our community approved two replacement levies which support the educational operations of the district. These levies provide nearly 20 percent of our budget. In education finance, we often use the phrase “levies are for learning, and bonds are for building.” Levies and bonds are separate funds and cannot be used interchangeably.
Budget Survey
We are starting the budget process and would like to gather feedback from our community. This year, we are asking you to share how you want us to prioritize the budget, aligning it with Our Commitments. Please let us know which areas you think we should focus on as we develop next year’s budget. Share your feedback by 5 p.m., Tuesday, Dec. 10.