Updated Sept. 26
The Orcas Island School District (OISD) Board, after two days of exhaustive interviews with 9 architectural firms pitching their proposals for school rebuilding, heard last night from Business Manager Ben Thomas that enrollment and the district’s general fund were in excellent shape.
Enrollment, conservatively projected to be 440 students last spring during budget formulation, has reached 464.
The General Fund, down to under $8,000 in Sept. 2006, is now at $338,000 as of the end of August, Thomas reported, obviously pleased. He credited the teamwork of the Board, Superintendent and Budget Advisory Committee, saying, “We’ve rocked and rolled the last three years.”
Board Member Keith Whitaker said, “Since we do see our fund balance ending in a good place and enrollment in a good place, do we… take all that money and put it back in the program or do we …. save some for next year?” Whitaker proposed bringing a resolution to a future board meeting at which absent board members Tony Ghazel and Charles Glasser could weigh in too.
Reading a letter from the Education Services District staff overseeing Orcas Island’s budget, Janet Brownell, Board President, responded to criticism that the district’s enrollment was dropping and it was relying on federal stimulus money.
“Enrollment hasn’t dropped,” Brownell said. “We have a growing fund balance (at a time when almost no districts can say that) and growing enrollment. There needs to be some recognition of that.”
Following Thomas’ suggestion that the school board “dedicate $100,000 of our fund balance toward future issues, ” Brownell, Whitaker and Scott Lancaster agreed to review the district’s fund balance plan at the October board meeting.
The Board came to their regular meeting on Sept. 25 after two days and 15 hours of nearly non-stop interviews with architectural firms. They expressed satisfaction and excitement at the quality of presentations, and plan to decide upon a firm next week, following Executive Sessions of the Board to discuss the various proposals.
Just a note that Ghazel had to leave after the Architect interviews Thursday night to go to Vancouver WA to take part in Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) Legislative Conference taking place on Friday and Saturday.
I am thrilled with the news about the General Fund balance, the past three years have been tough, but we have turned the district around and in the right direction. We are in a much better shape than most districts throughout the state, because many are just now dealing with financial issues that we dealt with in the past three years.
Just a note that Ghazel had to leave after the Architect interviews Thursday night to go to Vancouver WA to take part in Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) Legislative Conference taking place on Friday and Saturday.\
\
I am thrilled with the news about the General Fund balance, the past three years have been tough, but we have turned the district around and in the right direction. We are in a much better shape than most districts throughout the state, because many are just now dealing with financial issues that we dealt with in the past three years.
Just a note that Ghazel had to leave after the Architect interviews Thursday night to go to Vancouver WA to take part in Washington State School Directors Association (WSSDA) Legislative Conference taking place on Friday and Saturday.
I am thrilled with the news about the General Fund balance, the past three years have been tough, but we have turned the district around and in the right direction. We are in a much better shape than most districts throughout the state, because many are just now dealing with financial issues that we dealt with in the past three years.