School budget OK'd with slight decrease in tax bill

The Whitefish School Board approved Aug. 13 the district’s 2013-14 budget that shows a slight increase from the previous year.

The total budget was OK’d at $16.35 million, an increase of about $560,000 over last year. The mill levy actually decreased by 4.29 percent.

“The mill levies were down so that is a benefit to taxpayers,” district clerk Danelle Reisch said.

Enrollment continues to impact the school budget, although it seems to be stabilizing, according to district staff.

The budget still takes advantage of the ability to average enrollment to use higher numbers in prior years. Much of the district’s state funding is based on enrollment.

As the result of bills passed in the Montana Legislature the district received some additional funding to its per school entitlement and a small increase in per student funding. The total increase in funding is about $100,000.

The budget at the elementary level reflects staffing changes based on enrollment. Included in the budget are the reduction of a seventh and eighth grade teacher that was transferred to the fifth grade, reduction of both a part-time counselor and part-time librarian at the middle school, and reduction of a Title I position.

At the high school level, the budget includes the addition of an English teacher to replace a retiring teacher.

District wide, the budget includes increases for the district’s obligations in paying into the state retirement fund.

“The Legislature increased the amount of contribution by the employer,” Reisch said. “The county-wide levy will go up for this.”

The state Legislature changed funding for the Teachers’ Retirement System and the Public Employee’s Retirement System. The district contributions were increased for both systems, with an increase in the retirement fund of $324,000.

The budget includes $25,000 for a school resource officer. The Whitefish Police Department is applying for a grant to return the position to the school, and if awarded, the district would have to provide matching funding for the position.

“We want to have the funding available if that happens,” Reisch said.

The transportation budget decreased by $40,500 this year. One bus route was eliminated and absorb into two other routes.

Both the elementary and high school general fund budgets anticipate year-end cash balances to be placed in reserve. The elementary general fund anticipates 9 percent of the budget placed into reserve and the high school general fund shows 9.85 percent.