During the regular July budget hearing and board meeting, the College Place Public Schools Board of Directors approved the 2021-2022 operating budget. The district is expecting revenues of nearly $26.4 million and expenditures of nearly $26.9 million. The school year is expected to conclude with the district having $2.7 in fund balance, or roughly 10%.
The board approved the budget that includes over a half million dollars spent out of reserves to support the district’s strong return from the pandemic. The Board prioritized adding teaching and support staff, a math specialist, additional health services staff, and outside of school programming for students. Additionally, the Board directed additional support in the areas of intervention for students in the areas of academics and social emotional learning.
College Place Public Schools Superintendent Jim Fry stated, “It is evident that the Board of Directors in College Place is focused on our kids accelerating their learning and growth after a very difficult eighteen months. The resources, additional support, and financial investment in our staff and our schools shows that they expect nothing but excellence from our schools.”
The district has continued to be excellent stewards of public funds expecting to close on a piece of land in College Place for a future school site in the upcoming days utilizing funds from its savings. Also, the school board is strategically using ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief) Funds to purchase three double-classroom portables to allow for the safe, full opening of school in the fall and to handle the growth in College Place. Both purchases will not rely on any additional taxes or revenue bore by the community.
College Place is expected to run a renewal of its levy in February 2022 to replace its expiring levy. The rate currently is $2.60 per thousand dollars of assessed property value. The Board has not acted on what that will look like and is expected to do so by November.