Increased enrollment brings raise in budgets
HILARY MATHESON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 11 years, 11 months AGO
EDUCATION REPORTER Hilary Matheson covers education for the Daily Inter Lake. Her reporting focuses on schools, students, and the policies that shape public education across Northwest Montana. Matheson regularly reports on school boards, district decisions and issues affecting teachers and families. Her work examines how funding, enrollment and state policy influence local school systems. She helps readers understand how education decisions affect students and communities throughout the region. IMPACT: Hilary’s work provides transparency and insight into the schools that serve thousands of local families. | August 18, 2014 10:30 AM
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].
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