Groff litigation, improving finances addressed in MLSD board meeting
NANCE BESTON | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 1 year AGO
The Moses Lake School District board met Thursday to discuss the potential litigation for Groff Elementary, passed two other policies and heard a finance update from MLSD Superintendent Carol Lewis, who said the district’s finances have dramatically improved.
NANCE BESTON/COLUMBIA BASIN HERALD
The Moses Lake School Board approved litigation for Groff Elementary against Fowler General Construction Inc. The resolution said the construction of Groff was not completed in accordance with the contract including issues with mechanical, electrical, roofing and stairs in the school.
MOSES LAKE – The Moses Lake School Board met for a regular meeting April 3 and discussed litigation regarding Groff Elementary, adding public health information to the district website, protection of student information and heard a financial report from MLSD superintendent Carol Lewis.
Groff Elementary
The board unanimously approved resolution 2025-06 for MLSD to pursue legal action regarding the Groff Elementary school project against Fowler General Construction Inc. The resolution says the construction of Groff was not completed in accordance with the agreed project schedule including defects to the school’s mechanical and electrical system, roofing system and stairs.
MLSD Public Information Director Ryan Shannon said there will be further developments discussed during the press conference today in regard to the litigation.
Public Health
The board passed a resolution unanimously to update policy 4001 about community relations. The update will include public health information from the Department of Health regarding substance use trends, overdose symptoms and response, secure storage or prescriptions drugs and firearms. The district will keep the community informed on these topics and any other pressing public health topics. The district will post this information at least twice a year.
Finances
As of February 2025, the district had spent 46.16% of the budgeted expenditures, according to Lewis. In 2023 and 2024 it was 50.52% and 51.36%, respectively.
“This is an awesome thing that expenditures are going down 5%, that is a big deal,” Board Member Ryan Coulston said.
By February in the past three years around $75,411,000, $78,310,000 and $62,610,000 had been spent, respectively. Revenues have remained pretty consistent throughout the past three years.
Lewis also highlighted that travel costs are significantly less this year in comparison to previous years. This year as of February, the district has spent around $21,200. Last year, in the same time frame, the district spent around $237,900 and the year prior it had spent around $115,000.
This is also the first year in the past three years where revenues have been over expenditures. In February 2025, the revenue is around $6.68 million over expenditures. In 2024, the expenditures were about $11.14 over revenue. In the year prior the expenses were around $9.53 million over the revenues.
As of March, the actual fund balance is greater than the anticipated fund balance, according to Lewis’s presentation.
“We are very pleased that our fund balance is over $15 million right now,” Lewis said. “The prediction was $5 million so we have done an amazing job, and we are getting closer to where we need to be.”
Student info
The board unanimously adopted policy 3235, which ensures all negotiated contracts and online “terms of use” agreements align with the Student User Privacy in Education Rights Act.
The Moses Lake School Board approved litigation for Groff Elementary against Fowler General Construction Inc. The resolution said the construction of Groff was not completed in accordance with the contract including issues with mechanical, electrical, roofing and stairs in the school.ARTICLES BY NANCE BESTON
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