Budget committee forwards Rainier School District 13 draft budget and proposed $5.436 tax rate to full board after public questions

Janine Manny was elected vice chair of the Rainier School District 13 budget committee and, after public comment and staff answers, the committee voted to forward the district's proposed 2024–25 budget and a proposed tax rate of $5.436 per $1,000 of assessed value to the full board of directors.

The meeting opened with the pledge of allegiance and a brief procedural slate before the committee approved the April 22, 2024 budget meeting minutes. During the public-comment period, Robin Dell — who identified herself as a local high school teacher and the union president — asked several detailed questions about the draft budget, including where departmental budgets for science and CTE appear, why some line items show zero spending in the 2021–22 and 2022–23 actuals while larger amounts are proposed for 2024–25, and which positions account for a planned increase of five full‑time equivalents (FTE).

"My members would like to know if there are plans for departmental budgets in here for things like the science department, CTE departments — I haven't seen any yet," Dell said, emphasizing she and colleagues were seeking clarity on coding and intentionality for the proposed spending.

Jennifer Collins, joining remotely, responded that departmental budgets are assigned by building and that some zero actuals can reflect coding to different building accounts rather than a lack of authority to spend. Collins said staff flagged specific lines for follow-up and gave the example that English‑as‑a‑second‑language supplies might be charged to the building rather than to an ESOL code. She also explained that several FTE previously charged to ESSR and other grants were moved into the general fund because those grant funds are no longer available.

Collins clarified that the budget committee's numbers are based on the district's adopted second forecast (the second "B" estimate) and noted that forecasts will continue to change; the committee's draft budget will not be retroactively revised for subsequent weekly forecast updates. On salary questions, staff said the "additional salary" line reflects extra‑duty/time‑sheet hours.

Committee members pressed staff on transfers and capital projects. Staff said the proposal includes transfers to capital improvement and to programs such as athletics and nutrition services; the recording lists transfers to Capital Improvement (2,000), Athletics/co‑curricular (28,500), Nutrition Services (189,000) and a debt service transfer (55,500), and staff cited a proposed $200,000 transfer to capital projects intended in part to address roofing work. Meeting audio and the staff presentation indicate the capital‑projects figure of $548,500 was mentioned as a fund placeholder, but the transcript of the motion is garbled on some totals.

A sample motion was read to forward the proposed budget package to the full board with a proposed tax rate of $5.436 per $1,000 of assessed value. The committee moved, a member seconded, and by voice vote the committee agreed to send the proposal to the full board for final consideration; the committee did not record a roll‑call tally in the meeting minutes.

Next steps: the full board of directors will receive the proposed 2024–25 budget and the proposed tax rate for formal consideration. The committee noted no additional budget meeting is currently scheduled unless needed and adjourned.

Details not specified or unclear in the meeting recording: several numeric totals read during the sample motion were garbled in the transcript and could not be confirmed from the recording; staff indicated they would follow up on flagged coding and actuals questions raised during public comment.