The Kalispell Public Schools board approved a $56 million budget Tuesday for the 2014-15 school year.

The elementary district will operate on a $27,561,514 budget. The high school district has budgeted $ 28,465,704.

Both budgets grew from the 2013-14 school year. 

The elementary budget increased by $1,463,659 (5.61 percent). The high school budget increased by $2,367,850 (9.07 percent). 

Larger budgets are primarily due to increased enrollment. School districts receive a portion of state funding per student and last year’s enrollment drives this year’s budget.

The elementary district benefited from a slight increase in enrollment and received about $289 more in state funding per student. Despite a small decrease in student enrollment in the high school district, state funding per student was buoyed by changes in the funding formula at the state level. As a result, the high school district received $270 more per student.

The approximate annual cost is $7,758 to educate an elementary student and $8,947 for a high school student in Kalispell.

In addition to state funding, money also comes from local taxpayers.

Of the total elementary district budget, taxpayers will contribute $8,179,140. Taxpayers in the high school district will generate $9,259,468.

Both districts experienced changes in taxable value this year. The elementary district’s taxable value decreased by $40,753 while the high school district had an increase of $2,179,204.

The districts also hold cash funds for programs such as food service, traffic education, student activities, an endowment and some forms of insurance. Combined, these funds contain roughly $5.7 million.

Reporter Hilary Matheson may be reached at 758-4431 or by email at [email protected].