KSD To Trim at Least $5 Million from Budget Due to Levy Failure

The Kennewick School District laid out preliminary plans on May 11th at the School Board meeting about how to offset the failure of the operations levy in February and April.

Specific areas have been identified for reductions

The Powerpoint presentation showed a wide variety of data, from pre and post-levy failure budgets and costs.

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The presentation lists how the budgets are shaping up, including looking ahead to the 2023-24 school year and perhaps impacts of this or future levy issues.

It also, on page 20, lists specific areas that have been targeted for potential reductions. These include: (The dollar figures are the estimated savings)

• Not filling vacant certificated positions and re-allocate (teaching/administrative) to other programs (savings $950K)
• Eliminate 5 unfilled/vacant operational and maintenance positions ($350K)
• Rightsize classified positions (use open/vacant positions to eliminate/re-assign/create efficient staffing) --($990K)
• Efficient management of classified substitutes  ($200K)
• Eliminate Additional Pay (Curriculum Adoptions/KG Assessment Testing)   ($130K)
• Other Reductions/Re-allocation of Costs Among Programs - In Process ($200K)
• Middle School/High School Athletic Coaching Contracts/Teams/Review Participation #’s/No Cut Policy   (In Review)
• Evaluate/hold the filling of other vacant positions that come up to conserve fund balance for application toward school year 2023-24 support of staff and programs. (Ongoing).

We added the bold lettering for emphasis on two of these items because they appear to involve evaluating possible reductions to programs. However, what those programs are is not listed.

These savings add up to $3 million dollars of the estimated $5 million.

The other one appears to be a re-evaluation of the District's no-cut' policy for athletic teams.  For some time, KSD sports teams have not made cuts, players are simply assigned to a team that matches their skill level...either Varsity, JV, or "C" at the HS level.  In middle school, it's either the "A" or "B" or (if enough players)  "C" team.

KSD informed us for the "next year" the number of unfilled positions they will not be filling is currently at 20.

We will continue to provide more details as they are made available.