Port Angeles School Board approves 3,088 FTE enrollment figure to begin 2026''27 budget process

The Port Angeles School Board voted to approve a budgeted full-time-equivalent (FTE) enrollment of 3,088 for the 2026''27 school year, a figure board members authorized to begin formal budget work and outreach.

The board's decision followed a presentation from district staff showing a multi-year enrollment decline and two methods used to forecast kindergarten and districtwide enrollment. Karen Kaze, who introduced the fiscal presentation, said the district uses both year-over-year enrollment trends and Clallam County birth-rate-based estimates to produce conservative kindergarten projections that feed the FTE forecast.

"So the first step in budget planning is Greg and I gather a lot of data and take a look at what's happening statewide versus the district," Kaze said, describing the district's process of assembling statewide OSPI information, local birth-rate patterns and internal grade-to-grade cohort analyses.

Fiscal coordinator Greg Guyer (introduced during the meeting) presented the enrollment data the board used to set the working FTE. He told directors the district's March enrollment showed a small decline and that those changes translate into staffing and revenue impacts: "We budgeted 32.23 and right now, year to date, we're at 32.17," Guyer said, describing the FTE accounting used in district forecasting.

Board discussion emphasized the uncertainty of kindergarten counts and the district's outreach plan. Staff reported early registration numbers: "As of today, we have 25 registered," a staff member said, and later clarified that counting TK and preschool yielded additional prospects that boosted a working outreach total toward 75. Directors urged continued community promotion and invited board participation in registration events.

A motion to approve the 3,088 FTE figure was made and seconded; the board voted in favor. The chair announced the motion carried and staff said they will proceed with detailed budget development, incorporating legislative revenue signals as they become available. The board scheduled further budget reviews and a March 26 meeting that will include financial and enrollment updates.

What happens next: staff will model revenues and expenditures against the 3,088 FTE plan, return with more detailed line-item proposals and report changes tied to the state legislature's final budget actions.