During the ConVal School Board’s deliberative session Tuesday night in the ConVal High School gym, no changes were made to the proposed budget or any of the district’s proposed warrant articles. 

The proposed budget for the district is approximately $56.1 million, including the operational budget and federal program costs. If the budget does not pass, the default budget would be approximately $54.7 million. School board member Jim Fredrickson made a short presentation on the budget.

“The operational budget is the meat of the budget,” he said.

The proposed operating budget is just over $53.8 million and includes salaries, benefits, services, property services, supplies and materials and debt services. It is 1.35 percent higher than the district’s current operating budget.

“The proposed budget is well scrubbed,” Fredrickson said.

The School Board had to account for higher costs of supplies and materials, salary increases that are part of the collective bargaining agreement with the ConVal Education Association that was approved by voters last March and increased costs of benefits and services.

“We have to absorb these,” Fredrickson said. 

Fredrickson also explained that the default budget is a calculation based on the current year’s budget and required expenses. When taking into account what to cut if the district must institute a default budget, Fredrickson said the first to go would be costs with the lowest impact on students. These would include reductions in staff, programs, facilities and supplies. He said it “will be painful” if the proposed budget fails, and that it's important to note that the gross budget for 2023-2024 is actually 0.5 percent lower than the current approved budget.

The School Board recommended adoption of all warrant articles that will be on the ballot on March 14, none of which raise money from taxation. 

School Board member Katherine Heck spoke about Article 2, which appropriates $500,000 to the Building Capital Reserve Fund from the June 30, 2023, fund balance. She explained that appropriations from the fund balance would only occur if the district has leftover funds at that time.

Heck also said the district has to fund articles in the order they appear on the warrant, so they have to prioritize articles, which is why Article 6 is asking to appropriate an additional $250,000 to the Building Capital Reserve Fund from the fund balance. 

Article 3 would appropriate $125,000 to the Energy Trust Fund from the fund balance, which can eventually be used to buy back the district’s solar array to capitalize on additional energy savings.

Article 4 would appropriate $75,000 to the Technology Trust Fund from the fund balance, which would be used for acquiring and maintaining digital equipment and services. School Board member Tom Burgess said it will “keep ConVal up to date,” giving students “quality exposure, experience and knowledge of the world.”

Article 5 would appropriate $25,000 to the Equipment Trust Fund from the fund balance. 

Article 7 would appropriate $25,000 to the Health Maintenance Trust Fund from the fund balance.

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