OTHELLO — Othello School District officials anticipate district enrollment for 2023-24 school year to be the equivalent of about 4,463 students, a decrease of seven students from actual enrollment in the 2022-23 school year. The preliminary budget was presented to Othello School Board members at the Aug. 14 meeting.

Amy Suarez, the district’s executive director of business, said enrollment is expected to decline over the next few years. Othello Superintendent Pete Perez said that will mean some decisions for the district, the board and Othello district residents in the near future.

“Our role as central office folks in communicating to the board is, we need to be thinking two or three years down the road, because this is what’s coming,” Perez said.

Schools are funded based on the number of students, but since actual enrollment can’t be determined until school starts, budgets are based on a projection.

District enrollment in kindergarten through third grade has been declining since the 2017-18 school year, Suarez said. For 2023-24 the K-3 enrollment is projected to be 1,242 students, down from actual enrollment of 1,448 in the 2017-18 school year.

For 2023-24, enrollment in the elementary grades is projected to decrease by 99 students, Suarez said. Enrollment at McFarland Middle School is projected to increase by 33 students and go up by 59 students at Othello High School

For 2023-24, staffing levels will remain the same, as the district uses funds allocated by the federal government during the COVID-19 pandemic. But that funding ends after the 2023-24 school year, Suarez said.

In answer to a question from board member Lindsy Prows, Suarez said most of the staff being paid with the additional federal money is in K-3.

“It’s much easier to predict — at least this has been my experience — in the middle (and) high school. Because those cohorts stay together - you know what’s coming,” Perez said. “The kindergarten numbers the last couple years have been what has shaken the system a bit. On top of accelerated costs. We’re paying more for things, including people.”

Perez said OSD probably can accommodate many of the possible staff reductions, as teachers retire, move to other jobs in the district or move to other districts. In addition, state funding may increase over that time, he said — but board members should be thinking about the options if additional funding doesn’t materialize.

Suarez said the general fund for 2023-24 was projected at about $87.58 million. The majority of school operations are paid for out of the general fund, which pays for salaries, some equipment, supplies and maintenance, among other things.

Along with the general fund, school operations are paid for through four funds reserved for specific purposes.

The debt service fund pays back construction bonds issued by the district. For 2023-24 the fund is budgeted at $2.55 million. Othello district voters passed a construction bond in 2007, which was refinanced in 2014.

The capital projects fund pays for construction and facility improvement projects. For 2023-24 the planned projects include additional portable classrooms at OHS and Scootney Springs Elementary, parking lot repair, upgrades to the OHS heating system and a counseling center at MMS. The fund is budgeted at $3 million, which will be transferred from the district’s general fund.

The transportation vehicle fund pays for school buses and vans or any other vehicles, and can only be used for that purpose. For 2023-24 OSD officials budgeted $550,000, including a $150,000 transfer from the general fund.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at [email protected].