Tumwater School District affirms ‘caring, engaging’ student environment

Tumwater School District (TSD) Superintendent Kevin Bogatin presented the fiscal year 2023-2024 budget during a forum yesterday, August 17.

“I want to start tonight centering this conversation on the bigger picture of our budget and what is grounded in our district– and that starts with our district mission: ‘continuous student learning in a caring, engaging environment.’,” Bogatin said.

“I think it's just important that we go back to those foundational elements of our school district,” the superintendent added.

Bogatin said these district commitments help guide him and his team at the district level.

“We want them to be prioritizing and thinking about these things as they develop their school plans and spending district resources at the school level,” Bogatin said.

Enrollment

Bogatin presented a graph showing the enrollment trend with a nearly flat line of around 6000 students for the 2022-2023 enrollment.

Bogatin showed the chart showing the enrollment levels through the years.

“I would characterize this as a flat growth or flat line. We're not having significant enrollment declines but has something for us to just be looking at, and it is a driver of this whole budget,” reported Bogatin.

The 2023-2024 enrollment projection is 6,406 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) units.

“It's not exactly students,” Bogatin explained. “If you look at the New Market, for example, students come to us for half a day, so half a student is counted. Half an FTE is counted in those numbers.”

The FTE for 2023-2024 is 299 short of last year’s 6,705.

Budget

Bogatin explained that the Budget year cycle is from September 1 through August 31.

“Sometimes we have different counters, the school calendar, and then a fiscal calendar. It's built on an estimate of what we think enrollment will be,” Bogatin said.

The anticipated good faith estimate of revenues and expenditures comprise the budget, which is also the basis for appropriations, giving the district the authority to spend public money.

Bogatin presented the General Budget forecast, found in this table.

“Something to pay attention to in the coming months is our ending fund balance. We have a board policy that says 6% expected ending fund balance, so this budget is built with that expectation as well,” Bogatin said.

There is a budget hearing during the regular board meeting next Thursday, August 24, at 6 p.m. Commenters may share their testimony in person or email Executive Director Melissa Richter before the hearing.

“We do welcome if you want your voice heard. Please come to our meeting; there will be an opportunity to do a public hearing. We will stay here as long as people have questions about the budget,” Bogatin said.