Washougal school board OKs 2020-21 budget

The Washougal School Board has approved the district’s 2020-21 budget. The school board members OK’d the $48.9 million budget, which includes roughly $40,000 from reserve funds, at their Aug. 25 meeting.

“We started this journey from a complex financial position thanks to the McCleary decision, and all of us across the state acknowledged that we’d have some deficit spending,” Washougal School District Superintendent Mary Templeton said. “We’re always playing the long game. We’re tightening our belts, looking for efficiencies and sharing the sacrifice to wean ourselves off of reserve spending. I’m tickled when I look at that reserve number, which is impressive considering in years past it’s been $800,000 or $1 million. Now we’re down to a minimal (use). We’re financially stabilizing.”