School board approves budget

Large use of fund balance 

[  By Kendra Walker  ]

The Gunnison Watershed School District board approved the fiscal year 2022-2023 budget on June 28. 

The budget estimates a total of $37,635,003 in revenue to support $40,814,895 in expenses. It has been developed to use approximately $1.1 million in fund balance to cover all expenses if the budget is 100% spent and the district is 100% staffed, which is purposeful in order to bring fund balances more in line with board-approved levels.

“This is still a working document every day of the year,” noted the district’s business manager Tia Mills. “We’re still at a 10,0000-foot view of this budget. We don’t know enrollment, our PPR (Procedure and Policy Recommendations) and our staff vacancies.” 

Mills said she is targeting a 1-2% variance. The board then has the opportunity in January to make changes and adopt an amended budget based on the actual variance.

“I feel good about what’s presented,” she said. The board unanimously voted to approve the FY2022-2023 proposed budget. 

The budget includes a 2% step increase for every district employee, and a 7% raise to the base of each salary. The daily substitute rate will increase from $100 to $125/day.

Other highlights include reduced health insurance rates, continued support for athletics, activities and summer experience, continued use of stimulus funds to pay for contracted mental health and ELL Outreach and intervention support.

The budget is also using capital funds to match the Colorado Department of Education’s BEST Grant to replace the roof at the Crested Butte Community School. Work on the CBCS began in July.