Washougal School District releases its 2022-23 proposed budget

The Washougal School District has released its proposed 2022-23 budget.

Washougal School Board will vote on the budget during the Board’s Aug. 23 meeting.

The budget, posted to the district’s website on July 10, includes “investments identified in the district’s strategic plan and in alignment with (its) goals for responsible stewardship of resources,” according to a news release.

The budget projects the district will spend $50.6 million from its general fund during the 2022-23 school year, with about 86% of expenditures paying the salaries and benefits for 220 certificated and 145 classified staff members, and the remaining 14% paying for materials, supplies and other expenses.

Local taxpayer-supported Educational Program and Operations (EPO) levy dollars will support a variety of student learning experiences, such as the district’s dual language and transitional kindergarten programs, and continue to fund the Washougal Learning Academy.

The budget also includes investments in staff development, Professional Learning Communities, accelerated programming, the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) program, career and technical education, fine arts, the district’s one-to-one technology initiative, and facilities, according to the news release.

The school district expects to have 2,813 full-time equivalent (FTE) students for the 2022-23 school year.

“The four-year projection stabilizes fiscally responsible district reserves in alignment with board goals while maximizing the resources we have to provide excellent teaching and learning for our students,” the district stated in a news release. “The draft plan uses a conservative enrollment forecast and keeps the focus on improving student achievement and investing in attracting and retaining excellent staff to serve our families.”

The budget can be viewed online at washougal.k12.wa.us/blog/2022/07/06/draft-2 022-2023-budget-available/.