Coupeville School Board outlines conservative budget plan after enrollment drop; two teachers given RIF notices

Coupeville — The Coupeville School District presented a cautious budget path May 28 after staff projected a multi‑hundred‑thousand‑dollar shortfall tied to enrollment declines and rising utility costs.

Business manager Stacy Watson told the board that May enrollment stood at 859 K–12 students versus a budgeted 954 and that district revenue for April rose $2.592 million largely from property‑tax receipts. Still, Watson and Superintendent Weatherwood said the district faces a structural shortfall carried from the prior year and an anticipated additional deficit for the coming year that requires conservative planning.

"April was a great month. In fact, our best month in the last four years — $2.592 million in dollars in revenue," Watson said as she reviewed cash‑flow and fund‑balance metrics. She told the board the April ending fund balance was about $1.675 million and that reserves remained above the district’s 6% target, but projected expenditures and known revenue trends left a gap for next year.

Staff presented multiple enrollment scenarios used to project revenue. The most conservative cohort scenario produced a lower enrollment baseline (around the low‑to‑mid‑800s) that would require deeper cuts; a middle scenario (roughly 850) reduced the immediate impact while preserving more staff. The district’s modified‑education plan — a set of possible reductions and restructuring steps — moved in the direction of the more conservative middle option after board discussion.

That plan, as presented, included a mix of personnel and program adjustments: two teacher positions marked for attrition, one nonrenewal, the layoff of one special‑education teacher in some scenarios, reductions in paraprofessional hours (with exceptions for one‑to‑one aides), a possible layoff of one bus driver tied to transportation changes that could save roughly $20,000, and modest MSOC (materials, supplies, operating costs) adjustments. Watson and other staff emphasized that some actions — notably the two RIF notices issued May 15 to two teachers — were made to meet statutory and timeline requirements but that the district hoped to rehire if revenue and enrollment permit.

"We did send two RIF notices on May 15th to two teachers. Our sincere hope is that we can bring them back," Watson said.

Board members repeatedly urged staff to continue seeking grants and non‑recurring revenue to soften the impact of reductions. Staff reported active grant work, including energy assessments and a pending $25 million building grant (see separate coverage). The district also described a recent conversation with Puget Sound Energy that projected a material increase in electricity costs — an estimated $250,000 annual impact that has been folded into planning scenarios.

Directors discussed the tradeoffs between conservatism and retaining staff, noting the irreversible nature of some personnel reductions. The board asked for clearer monthly reporting and a multi‑year view of trends; staff said they will provide updated enrollment pulls from ESD, refine revenue estimates and present a draft budget for public posting by July 10, with formal adoption planned for the July 30 meeting.

Next procedural steps include finalizing the revenue estimate to ESD (due July 10), posting the draft budget for public review, distributing letters of assurance to classified staff before the last day of school and completing contract signatures for certificated staff. Watson said she will continue to pursue grant revenue and ask staff to limit nonessential spending through the end of the fiscal year.

The board discussion and staff presentations did not produce a final vote on layoffs or program eliminations at the May 28 meeting; motions taken that evening were routine. The district will return to the board in July with a posted draft budget and recommended adoption on July 30.