2025-2026 Budget Development
The Washougal School District is focused on the following financial goals:
- Achieve a Balanced Budget: Implement necessary budget reductions and revenue enhancements to ensure expenditures do not exceed revenues.
- Restore and Maintain Fund Balance: Rebuild the ending fund balance to meet or exceed the School Board’s policy target of 6%, aiming for a 8% balance by the end of the 2027-28 school year.
- Align Staffing with Enrollment: Adjust staffing levels to correspond with declining student enrollment, optimizing resource allocation without compromising educational quality.
- Maintain Financial Transparency and Community Engagement: Continue to involve the community in budgetary decisions through surveys and public meetings, fostering trust and collaboration.
- Advocate for Adequate State Funding: Engage with state legislators to address underfunding issues, particularly in special education and operational costs, to secure necessary financial support. By focusing on these goals, the district can work towards financial stability while maintaining its commitment to providing quality education.
For the 2025-2026 school year, we anticipate a roughly 4% decline in enrollment. A large driver of the enrollment decline is the lower birthrate, and having fewer students in Kindergarten each year than are graduating from Washougal High School. This trend is expected to continue for several more years.
Estimating a reduction will always look like a moving target due to enrollment changes, staff movement, legislature updates, etc. The current potential reduction: $1,350,000 – $1,550,000
Items considered when looking at potential reduction:
- Loss of FTE and the associated state apportionment dollars
- Additional Levy rollback due to declining enrollment
- Obligations within our collective bargaining agreements
- Increase in SEBB insurance costs
- Increase in our materials, supplies, and operating costs due to inflation
2025-2026 Budget Development Timeline
- January – Sent out Community Survey
- January 28 – Board reviews Monthly budget update
- February 25 – Board reviews Budget and enrollment update
- March 25 – Board reviews budget, bargaining and enrollment forecast update
- April 8- Board reviews Community budget survey results
- April 22 – Board action on Modified Educational Program resolution
- April 27 – Legislative Regular Session Ends
- May 27 – Board Budget Progress Update (Legislative Impacts)
- June 10 – Preliminary Budget Presentation General Fund, ASB, Capital Projects, Debt Service and Transportation Vehicle Fund
- July 10 – Draft Budget posted to website
- August 26 – Public Budget Hearing
- August 31 – Final State Deadline for budget adoption
About the budget development process
Each year district leaders and the school board work through the budget planning process to create a roadmap that prioritizes student learning and important programs our community has identified through the strategic planning process.
This process begins each winter, and ends with the board adoption of the budget in August. During the process student, family, staff, and community priorities are identified through surveys, and this feedback is incorporated into the program and staffing plan.
Over the last six years, our enrollment has decreased by about 10%. Washougal experienced a significant growth in enrollment when families moved into the Sunset Ridge neighborhood in the early 2000s. As the last of that large wave of students graduates, our enrollment is projected to decline over the next three to four years. Enrollment is the primary driver of funding for our schools, so we are adjusting staffing to balance our budget, while still advancing student achievement.
Throughout the year, the board and leadership monitor the financial and enrollment data, and real-time adjustments are made to spending. The information about the budget and enrollment is posted to the website as part of our open and transparent board process. This lets community members with questions about the budget process review this data. We are also working to publish additional budget resources to our website to make sure we’re providing helpful and timely information about these processes.
Monthly Updates in Board Docs
Each month, a budget update is provided in the BoardDocs system to the Washougal School District board of directors. Community members can find the budget updates in BoardDocs using this link, categorized by each month’s meeting. Note that in some months, the report is delayed until information is available from the County Treasurer’s office. These reports are provided to the board at the next business meeting.
Community Budget Survey
The board reviewed results from the budget survey at the April 8 work session
New monthly budget status report 12-10-2024
Year end presentation 10-22-2024
The board reviewed the year end presentation that summarizes the 2023-2024 school year finances at their October 22, 2024 meeting. A copy of the year end presentation is linked here.
Board Budget Hearing Presentation 8-27-2024
The board reviewed and adopted the 2024-2025 budget at their August 27, 2024 meeting. A copy of the summary budget presentation is available here.
Preliminary 2024-25 Budget Presentation 6-11-2024
The board reviewed and asked questions about the Preliminary 2024-25 School District Budget shared during the June 11, 2024 board meeting, which provides an overview of anticipated revenue and expenditures in each of the five district funds, along with an update on enrollment and a four year projection for the district budget.
Monthly Updates in Board Docs
Each month, a budget update is provided in the BoardDocs system to the Washougal School District board of directors. Community members can find the budget updates in BoardDocs using this link, categorized by each month’s meeting. In some months, the report is delayed until information is available from the County Treasurer’s office, and are provided to the board at the next business meeting.