North Thurston Public Schools Budget
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Each year, NTPS leaders create a budget, which the School Board reviews and adopts in August. The budget includes all district costs, such as employee salaries and benefits, supplies, facilities, information technology, transportation, and more.
View our 2023-24 school year budget (PDF) and 4-year forecast report (PDF).
North Thurston Public Schools recently completed its annual audit with the Washington State Auditor’s Office (SAO). SAO reviewed the 2021-22 fiscal year, including accountability for public resources; financial statement for the district; and federal grant compliance. It was what is called a clean audit: SAO found no misstatements, no deficiencies in the design or operation of internal controls over financial reporting, and no instances of noncompliance. These results reflect our efficient and accountable use of public funding!
2023-24 school year budget
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The NTPS School Board approved the 2023-24 school year budget at the August 15, 2023, meeting. The NTPS team has managed costs in a variety of ways this past school year. If the district had not acted to reduce supplies spending, limit staff travel, hold some positions vacant, and reassign others, we would have faced an estimated $13 million budget shortfall going into the 2023-24 school year.
As a result of managing costs, we can present a balanced budget proposal to the School Board as required by law.
Budget-related decisions have affected every school and department in the district. For example, we have:
- Reassigned some paraprofessionals and specialists to align with school enrollments while still meeting contractual agreements.
- Reassigned some instructional specialists to school-based roles.
- Held vacant and eliminated positions at the District Office.
- Limited staff travel throughout the year.
- Sought grant funding to maintain programs, such as our recently awarded Stronger Connections grant to support mental health staffing.
- Refreshed Chromebooks for 1st through 5th graders to eliminate the need for an extra set of devices in specialist classrooms.
- Purchased new copiers and printing software that will improve efficiency and save 20% each year on district printing costs.
In preparing the budget, we have been able to adhere to our guiding principles:
- Meet our contractual agreements
- Staffing levels aligned with enrollment at each school or special program
- Reduce staffing levels through attrition
- Fill necessary positions from within existing district staff
- Least impactful to student learning environment
- Least impactful to our short- and long-term strategic plan goals
- Strive for equitable reductions across employee groups
- No reduction in force
- Continue to strive for efficiencies across all areas of operations
- Improve efficiencies in delivering special education services
Looking ahead, we anticipate continued budget constraints moving beyond this year into the 2024-25 school year for several reasons:
- The end of federal COVID-19 relief funding (ESSER). These temporary funds helped us balance our budget, but they must be spent by September 2024 and will not be replenished.
- Special education services are significantly underfunded by the state. We must improve efficiency in service delivery. Our local levy picks up about $10 million of special education costs. For the 2023-24 school year, our costs are increasing by about $1.4 million, and our state funding is increasing by $2 million. Even with the increase, there is still significant underfunding.
- Loss of regionalization funding. The state reimburses districts for the average cost of an educator. Regionalization funding is funding in addition to that average cost to account for the cost of living in different parts of the state. We are currently at 3% additional funding and will drop to 1.5% for the 2023-24 school year, with no additional funding for school year 2024-25. This is a loss of $4 million.
Budget Process Timeline
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January / February
- Enrollment Projections - how many students are enrolled at NTPS?
- The legislative session begins - we watch this closely as they make decisions that affect our funding.
March / April
- Analyze Certified staffing with principals & directors - teacher staffing needs
- Analyze Classified staffing with principals & directors - other staffing needs
- Analyze Department budgets - initial projected budget amounts given to departments
May / June
- Once all departments and schools communicate staffing needs, we send this total personnel budget to Human Resources.
- All departments and schools send us their final budgets based upon amounts given in March/April.
- Finalize the fee schedule (lunches and other fees) and send the schedule to the Board.
July / August
- Budgets from all departments and schools, including staffing, are compiled and sent as a draft to the Board.
- The Board reviews the draft, and a presentation of the draft budget is held in July.
- In August, the Board holds a public hearing and adopts the budget.
September / December
- Current year budget monitoring through monthly reporting to the Board of Directors.
- Current year budget monitoring by principals and directors.
Budget FAQ
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Q: How do the different budget funds work in NTPS?
A: The NTPS Budget is made up of 5 different Funds. What money goes to what fund is tightly controlled by state and board rules.
- General Fund: This is our main fund that covers everything else! All school districts are required to have one, and the revenue for this fund comes from local, county, state, and federal sources. It includes the rest of the operating expenses, including salaries, maintenance, printing, other transportation costs, and everything else. The Board requires we have 6% of this in reserve for financial stability.
- Capital Projects Fund: This is our building fund. This covers school buildings, equipment, energy audits, grounds, remodels, purchasing lands, technology, and even carpets and roofs.
- Debt Service Fund: This is the money set aside to pay off debt – bonds are debt to the county – we have to set aside money every year to pay down the voted debt (bonds).
- Special Revenue Fund: This is where ASB fee money goes. When you pay a fee for athletics, purchase tickets to a play, or other student function, that money goes into a closely-monitored, strictly-controlled fund. See ASB Fund Balance sheets for your school here.
- Transportation Vehicle Fund: Buses and transportation costs are completely separate. There is a mixture of Levy money (we have strict rules on what levy money can be used for what parts of transportation) and state money (the state helps with vehicle aging and depreciation costs).
NTPS investments of federal relief funds
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What are ESSER funds?
The American Rescue Plan Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ARP ESSER) Fund provides school districts with short-term federal funding to help them safely reopen and sustain the safe operation of schools while meeting the academic, social, emotional, and mental health needs of students resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.
If you have a suggestion or input about ESSER funds, please email us at communications@nthurston.k12.wa.us. Please put “ESSER FUNDS” in the subject line.
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How much has NTPS received so far?
NTPS has been allocated the following support for COVID-related costs incurred since March 2020:
Program
Allocation
Status
ESSER I (CARES Act)
$2,107,760
Spent 2019-20
ESSER II (CRRSA Act)
$7,461,593
Spent 2020-21 & 2021-22
ESSER III (ARP Act)
$13,417,404
Spent 2021-22 & 2022-23, and budgeted for spending in 2023-24.
ESSER III (ARP Act) Learning Loss
$3,354,351
Spent 2021-22 & 2022-23, and budgeted for spending in 2023-24.
K12 Internet Access
$27,341
Spent 2020-21 SPED ARP 611 2122
$711,117
Spent 2021-22 & 2022-23 SPED ARP 619 2122
$59,543
Spent 2021-22 & 2022-23 ESSER Mod Calendar 2122
$58,722
Spent 2021-22 ESSER Dual Language 2123
$200,000
Spent 2021-22 & 2022-23 ESSER Reimagine Ed 2122
$162,610
Spent 2021-22 & 2022-23 ARP HCY 1 2122
$76,500
Spent 2021-22 & 2022-23 ARP HCY II
$65,516
Spent 2022-23 Meals for kids 2.0 2122
$8,250
Spent 2021-22 Safe School Meals 2122
$39,099
Spent 2021-22 ALE Accelerating Unfinished Learning
$475,426
Spent 2022-23 Inclusive Transitional Kindergarten
$150,000
Spent 2022-23 TOTAL
$29,375,231
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ARP-ESSER Spending Plans