WSESD Finance Committee Meeting Agenda and Minutes

Note: These proposed minutes should be considered preliminary until they are approved by the board at a future meeting.

• The total “general operating expenditures” portion of the proposed budget is $62,944,634, which reflects an increase of 3.2% over the previous year’s budget.
• An explanation, and the amount, of the Use of Fund Balance, which is $950,000.
• How this budget document is organized and why.
• Direct instruction (or, “classroom instruction”) is the largest expenditure, because that is the purpose of the District: to serve its students.
• Some of the larger changes from the FY23 budget are due to:
◦ An increase in special education and central services expenditures, which are up 13%. This reflects a much higher need, as well as two new English Language Learner teachers to support the new Afghan students, a WSESU facilities manager, cybersecurity upgrades, and transportation.

◦ Student support services are up 11%, and mostly funds staffing to provide students with mental and physical health supports. These positions include clinicians, nurses, behavioral specialists, and the like. There are two new positions in this sector.
◦ Vocational education is up 11% and includes a new aviation program at WRCC.
• Mr. Rucker is still awaiting figures from the state to complete the budget. This is normal.
• Major cost-increase drivers in this budget include nine new positions in the District, a projected
12.7% increase in health insurance costs (which, as per new guidelines, requires the state to negotiate directly with insurers on all school districts’ behalf), and special education.
• Major drivers for cost-reductions in this proposed budget include a decrease in capital improvement expenditures, and a decrease in the bond debt interest expense.
• Preliminary enrollment numbers look to be almost exactly the same as the current year’s numbers.
• The relationship between the equalized pupils (enrollment) and education spending, and the tax rate.
• The fund balance (found on page 5 of the budget document), and the fiscal year’s related activity.
• How Mr. Rucker decides on the recommended fund balance, which includes a three-year projection, and which also lowers education taxes.
• The excess spending threshold set by the Legislature, and how it affects the District.
• The enrollment statistics (found on page 4 of the budget document), and what this information is used for. This data gets sent to the state Agency of Education (AoE).
• A reminder that Mr. Rucker reviewed the “revenues” portion of the proposed budget at the last Finance Committee meeting. Mr. Rucker asked if anyone had questions. There were none.
• How the WRCC budget is calculated. The WRCC tuition brings in good financial support for its programs. Other revenues for the WRCC include state support and grants.
• A capital plan overview, which Mr. Rucker noted will be updated in a few weeks as he continues to receive information from other staff on individual schools’ capital needs.

Respectfully submitted by Wendy M. Levy from minutes taken by Wendy M. Levy.
This represents my understanding of the above dated meeting. If you have any changes, please submit them at the next Finance Committee meeting.