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  3. Budget Challenges (2024-25)

Budget Challenges (2024-25)

Community Meeting Regarding BISD's Budget

The community is invited to learn more about BISD’s Budget at a community meeting on Wednesday, Nov. 6 from 6-7:30 p.m. in the BHS Library. 

Budget Challenges (2024-25)

In late October 2024, BISD announced unexpected news regarding the 2024-25 budget. (Read the announcement here.)

Budget FAQs

A yellow circle with a white question mark in the center, surrounded by the words 'QUESTIONS & ANSWERS' in white.

To submit questions, please complete this form. 

  • We hope the below changes provide a minimum of $200,000 in savings.

    1. PAUSE ON PAID DISTRICT-DIRECTED COMMITTEE WORK: With the exception of the District Budget Advisory Committee, BISD is pausing all non-grant-funded committee work. We cannot afford to pay staff for additional time to participate in committees. If you are currently serving on a committee, the lead administrator will contact you about potential next steps. 

    2. FREEZE SPENDING, HIRING & TRAVEL: Only essential materials and supplies will be purchased, no additional positions will be added (an exception would be if it is an essential position vacated this school year by an employee who will need to be replaced for student safety or supervision for the remainder of the school year) and no district-funded staff travel.

    3. LIMIT STAFF EXTRA TIME: Unless obligated by collective bargaining agreements, staff will not be asked nor will be able to perform duties outside of their regular contracted hours. 

    4. POSTPONE BOND/LEVY PLANNING: Evaluate postponing a large capital request until the fund balance is stable and/or revisit earthquake safety retrofits for Commodore Options School and Ordway Elementary School.

    5. ROLL THE CURRENT DISTRICT IMPROVEMENT PLAN FORWARD BY ONE YEAR: Because we are pausing on district-level committee work, I recommend the school board extend our current District Improvement Plan through 2026. 

  • The District will need to make enough reductions beyond simply balancing the budget for 2024-2025 so that there are funds available to repay the loans within the prescribed 12 months.

  • State law prescribes that the loan be repaid with interest, even if it is to ourselves. The interest rate is the prevailing rate at the time of the loan and is set in the Board resolution authorizing the loan.

  • Having completed a significant amount of clean-up this spring and summer, the goal is to be back on track for a June HR budget deadline. The District is also working with Puget Sound Educational Service District (PSESD) to build a tool that would allow these "hidden" budget issues to be flagged upon review by PSESD staff when the budget is submitted.

  • We are working closely with PSESD on both this year's budget and a plan for future years. The District is willing to accept all assistance available while still aiming to retain local control of reductions.

  • Processes are being built for muliple avenues of verifying and analyzing the budget within the HR department, business office, and PSESD.

  • The Capital Projects Department is working to explore options and establish preliminary pricing figures for seismic retrofits at both facilities. Should the cost of the seismic retrofits be feasible, Capital staff will prepare to engage the City Engineering Department to start the permitting process and contractors in bid solicitation this spring. Then, perform the work as quickly as possible (ideally during the summer months).

  • The facility rental fee schedule was updated and approved by the school board of directors at the end of September 2024. Due to an interlocal agreement, BIMPRD does not pay facility rental fees for routine events facilitated by BIMPRD staff.