2023-24 Budget
The 2022-23 Budget was approved at the August 22nd Board Meeting.
Per RCW 28A.505.040 (full text below), before the 10th of July annually, each district must prepare their preliminary budget for the upcoming budget year, including a four-year budget plan, and post it electronically for public access.
No later than the 31st of August, the School Board must meet to consider and adopt the final budget.
A legal notice of the Budget Hearing and planned budget adoption in August will be published per the RCW. Procedures for accessing board meetings are located at the BoardDocs Website.
2023-24 Budget
The WA State legislature is in session through late April. This year there is significant uncertainty around the direction the legislature will take with regard to funding in a post-COVID environment. Additionally, Camas School District is currently considering budgetary cuts to realign expenditures to known revenues. Combined, these two factors serve as the first variables in the budgeting process. As they begin to firm up, we will begin posting 2023-24 budget data. Until then, refer to the:
2022-23 Budget info below
2022-23 Budget
The 2022-23 budget presentation and associated documents are posted at right.
The 2022-23 fiscal year represents an important transition point as the district continues to identify the post-COVID norm. Our revenue, expenditure, and fund balance forecasts represent our best projections while taking into account changes in enrollment, inflation, legislative action, and other operational factors.
General Fund Revenues: Over the past two years the district has received $9.8M in one-time COVID relief and stimulus money. These one-time funds will decline significantly in 2022-23, and we do not expect them to be a factor in our revenue model beyond 2022-23. For the upcoming year enrollment is expected to increase by approximately 1%, remaining lower than pre-COVID levels. We will also see our cost-of-living adjustment (regionalization) decrease by 1%. The net effect is that revenues are expected to increase by 4.6 percent to $113.3M.
General Fund Expenditures: Expenditures are budgeted at $119.M, driven primarily by personnel costs. These costs, which include salaries and benefits, make up 88% of total operating costs. The remaining 12% includes Materials, Supplies & Other Costs (MSOC). While the budget contains minimal staffing growth, record inflation is driving increases in both personnel costs and supplies & services. Overall expenditures are budgeted to increase 9 percent compared to the current year.
Fund Balance: The 2022-23 budget utilizes $5.8M in fund balance, with an ending fund balance of $12.2M (10.6%). The School Board has directed staff to execute a combined strategy of fund balance utilization, cost containment, and targeted expenditure reductions, all with the goal of achieving a sustainable-balanced budget in the four-year plan. These strategies align with the Budget Committee suggestions formulated this year.
The preliminary budget presentation outlines these budget objectives in more detail and contains information on the Capital Projects Fund, Debt Service Fund, and Transportation Vehicle Fund, as well as the local levy.
Information regarding the current and past fiscal years are contained in the financial dashboards, and will be updated with live budget data as we approach the August board meeting.
2022-23 Budget Presentation 8-22-22_.pdfRCW 28A.505.040
Budget—Four-year budget plan—Notice of completion—Copies—Review by educational service districts.
(1) On or before the tenth day of July in each year, all school districts shall prepare their budget (F-195) for the ensuing fiscal year. The annual budget development process shall include the development or update of a four-year budget plan that includes a four-year enrollment projection (F-195F). The four-year budget plan must include an estimate of funding necessary to maintain the continuing costs of program and service levels and any existing supplemental contract obligations.
(2) The completed budget must include a summary of the four-year budget plan and set forth the complete financial plan of the district for the ensuing fiscal year.
(3) (a) Upon completion of their budgets, every school district shall electronically publish a notice stating that the district has completed the budget, posted it electronically, placed it on file in the school district administration office, and that a copy of the budget and a summary of the four-year budget plan will be furnished to any person who calls upon the district for it.
(b) School districts shall submit one copy of their proposed budget and the four-year budget plan summary to their educational service districts for review and comment by July 10th. The superintendent of public instruction may delay the dates in this section if the state's operating budget is not finally approved by the legislature until after June 1st.
(c) The office of the superintendent of public instruction shall consider the information provided under (b) of this subsection when ranking each school district by the financial health of the school district in order to provide information for districts to avoid potential financial difficulty, insolvency, or binding conditions.