The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG - The Waitsburg School Board unanimously approved Resolution 073014 to accept a $4.37 million budget for the 2014- 15 school year at a July 30 special budgeting meeting. The budget was approved as follows:

General Fund $3,780,540

ASB Fund $94,200

Debt Service Fund $316,323

Capital Projects $35,000

Transportation Vehicle Fund $140,000

The difference between anticipated revenue and expenditures shows the budget $114,644 in the red, which would be taken from the Reserve Fund balance, if necessary.

The budget was based on an enrollment of 269.4 full time equivalent students. Waitsburg ended the last school year with an enrollment of 279.79. Waitsburg's school population has been on a steady decline for the last ten years when there were 351enrolled.

"It is important to remember that a budget is a spending plan. I truly believe we will have an enrollment larger than that for which we budgeted as I hear of new families who will be enrolling; however a budget has to be built on the 'knowns' - not the unknowns. Should that be the case, the difference between expenditures and revenues would decrease," said Superintendent Carol Clarke.