$2.5 million increase in benefits costs forces district to put hold on more

teacher hires

MOSES LAKE — Significant increases in fringe benefits is forcing the Moses Lake School District to put on hold hiring any additional teachers for the 2005-2006 school year.

While the approval by the MLSD board to hire more than a dozen teachers at a scheduled board meeting last week will not be retracted, no more hires are expected to be made at this time.

"It's going to be a little tighter than anticipated," said MLSD superintendent Steve Chestnut of next school year's budget.

The board expects to adopt a budget in August.

Monte Redal, assistant superintendent for business and operations for the MLSD, said he anticipates the district budget to be at $55 million for the 2005-2006 school year.

That number is up slightly from the $52 million the district had to work with in the 2004-2005 school year.

Redal said the increase in fringe benefit costs wouldn't leave a deficit in the district budget, but slow down its increase over time.

"We'll still have a balanced budget," Redal said.

Out of the projected $55 million budget, Redal estimates well over $10 million will be spent on employee benefits alone.

Redal said some of the cost increases had not been anticipated which left the district budget slightly under its projected budget for the 2004-2005 school year.

There are no plans currently to cut any programs from the district, but school district officials say they will be watching closely for any new expenditures that might arise.

"It's probably a healthy process to do this every once in a while to re-evaluate what you're doing and become more efficient," Redal said.