FAQ

The February 8, 2024 budget presentation is available on the budget planning webpage or can be viewed here:

Results from the December 2023 Community and Staff Surveys can be viewed on the Budget Planning webpage under "December 2023 Surveys."

The district is tracking over 9,500 residential units opening within the next 10 years. The majority of the new construction is now multi-family housing (apartments, condominiums, townhomes) rather than single-family. Multi-family housing units do not generate as many students as single family homes do. Multi-family housing generates about seven students for every 100 units vs. a single-family development that generates about 60 students for every 100 homes. This housing growth is certainly offsetting what could be larger enrollment declines. The other reason for the decline is a decline in birth rates. Birth rates are down for Lake Washington area, King County, and across the country. This results in lower kindergarten enrollment and fewer students enrolling at the elementary level. Fewer students in elementary leads to an eventual decline in secondary, even though secondary school enrollment is currently not declining in the same way. 

We don’t have any specific data to correlate the impact of higher housing prices and less families moving into our district. We know that districts across the region are experiencing enrollment declines even in lower cost housing markets. We also know that people are choosing to have less children nationwide which is reflected by a decrease in birth rates The annual number of births in LWSD is 14% lower than it was in 2013. The annual number of births in King County is 8% lower than it was in 2013 and 12% lower than its peak in 2016.

Enrollment is a primary driver of revenue, so there is some benefit to the budget when enrollment is higher than projected. When you factor in additional staffing expenses to accommodate more students, along with other increases in staffing and fixed costs, the approximate net effect of the increased enrollment on our operating budget for this year’s higher than projected enrollment was $100,000. That is better than zero, but it does not solve the issue.

Part of the work our demographer does each year is to look at economic factors as well as historical information with respect to the number of students we typically generate from different housing options when developing our enrollment projections. Part of that work includes looking at data around move ins and outs based on regional hiring of large employers as well as other factors. 

Below is a table showing the number of students enrolled in private schools since the pandemic. Note that the data is based on the city where the private school is listed. We don’t have information based on school district residence. The total change in student enrollment since the pandemic for private schools in Kirkland and Redmond is 122 students.

Below is a table showing the number of students declaring intent to homeschool within Lake Washington School District. You can see that numbers vary each year but are currently lower than they were prior to the pandemic.

Source: https://ospi.k12.wa.us/student-success/learning-alternatives/home-based-instruction

We currently do not have active plans for a district-wide reboundary process. We just completed one for the Lake Washington learning area elementary and middle schools to balance enrollment due to the construction of additions at Twain Elementary, Rose Hill Elementary, Franklin Elementary and Kirkland Middle School. We also anticipate looking at boundaries in the Redmond learning area due to the Rockwell Elementary rebuild and expand construction project. That said, we review our enrollment situation on an ongoing basis to determine if a boundary change would be needed in the future. Other strategies that are used to help with capacity issues are program moves (such as preschool or Quest).

The district does a variety of outreach to the community. Each school holds a kindergarten registration event and we send postcards out to prospective families regarding registration. We also participate in community events, such as Redmond Derby Days, “Big Truck” events, Redmond Lights and others in Kirkland, Redmond and Sammamish. Both our Communications Team and our Human Resources team participate in these events.  

Detailed descriptions of each category are included on pages 25-26 of the 2023-24 budget document located on our website.

You can find a further breakout of expenditures by program area on pages 39-41 of the 2023-24 budget document located on our website.

The expenditures for performing arts are contained in multiple places. Within the general fund operating budget, the elementary and secondary programs include the cost of the teacher to teach any electives that happen during the school day. Each school has a different number of electives. Individual school building budgets pay for the supplies and materials for those classes.  The Performing arts program in the budget provides for our high school Theater Managers and costs to maintain the Performing Arts Centers. This is also where costs are for community use.  Within our Associated Student Body (ASB) fund, revenues and expenditures related to the clubs and extracurricular plays, performances and other drama fundraising activities are included.

Lake Washington compares very favorably to other districts in overall administrative costs. For example, in the 2023-24 budget, Lake Washington has the lowest percentage of budget spent on central office compared to other districts in our area, despite being larger than all of the comparison districts.

Our Purchasing Department uses competitive procurement procedures as required by law. They actively sources vendors to ensures the best price for products. We obtain multiple quotes for lower priced equipment and request bids for more expensive items. Purchasing has saved the district approximately $12 million over the last five years. We also work with our regular vendors to request that they provide less expensive alternatives. For example, our custodial team recently changed out all the soap dispensers at our buildings which saved 40% ($48,000) on soap supplies every year. 

We continue to make strategic investments in our District priorities even amidst budget adjustments. Examples include hiring MTSS (Multi-Tiered Systems of Support) coaches for each elementary school this year, providing additional staffing to support inclusion and expand capacity within our equity department. 

Staff members can do many things to ensure effective use of resources. They can work with their office staff and purchasing department to ensure they are buying the most cost-effective products. They can ensure lights are turned out when not in use. They should not bring extra appliances into classrooms (such as microwaves or coffee makers) and use central equipment in staff rooms. They can reduce printing that isn’t necessary by leveraging technology resources in the classrooms. They can share ideas for additional efficiencies with their administrator.

The short answer is yes. The district must continue to make strategic investments and adjustments to support strategic priorities, including the inclusion model. We must bring expenditures into alignment with revenue, but that does not mean work to improve outcomes for all students stops. It does mean we have to think more critically about current and future investments of time and resources to support the identified priorities. 
  
For example, changes to support the inclusion model were included as part of the district’s contract negotiations with the teachers’ union (LWEA). The district implemented a four-year contract with LWEA from 2023-24 through 2026-27. Financial impacts and stability are always a consideration for the district and so are strategic investments in improving outcomes for students.

The district purchases insurance coverage through the Washington Schools Risk Management Pool (WSRMP), which is a cooperative of districts throughout Washington.  This pool combines financial resources to provide broad insurance coverage through a Coverage Agreement. In order to provide the broad and catastrophic coverage agreement for the member districts, WSRMP purchases excess insurance through commercial insurance providers. The two driving factors of premium increase are the purchase of excess commercial insurance and the claims history of the district. The primary cost increases come from the global insurance marketplace.  Most commercial insurance companies do not offer any coverage for public school districts in Washington state, so WSRMP is limited to using the carriers that will provide coverage, decreasing competition and contributing to increased cost. The second driver, the district’s claim history does impact premiums, but not as much as commercial insurance dynamics in Washington state.  

To control the significant increases the district was experiencing over the past five years, we adopted a large Self-Insured Retention (SIR), which is much like a deductible you choose on your personal insurance.  This SIR enabled the district to save money on premiums and those savings are set aside to pay for the claims that fall within the SIR. This program allows the district to better manage claims as most of the claims we experience fall within the SIR amount. This in turn reduces our claims activity with WSRMP and will continue to control our premiums over time.  While in the short-term the initial premium savings is reserved for claims, as the program matures and the premiums continue to decline, the district should reduce overall insurance costs.

Lake Washington School District has the highest credit rating assigned to any school district in the state. Standard & Poor’s has assigned the district an AA+ rating. This rating has only been assigned to three districts: Lake Washington, Issaquah and Bellevue. Moody’s Investors Service has assigned the district a Aaa credit rating, the highest rating possible. Less than 0.45 percent of school districts in the nation hold this rating from Moody’s. These high credit ratings allow the district to take advantage of the lowest interest rates possible. In addition, our district consistently has clean state audits. 

Over the last six years alone, LWSD has saved taxpayers over $43 million through bond refinancing to take advantage of the lower interest rates offered because of our high credit rating. We have also saved over $18.2 million in utility costs due to our resource conservation management program. Our building designs create savings through efficient HVAC systems, solar panels, and high efficiency plumbing fixtures. We are a seven-time winner of the King County award for Waste Prevention and Recycling. 

The district has also received the Meritorious Budget Award (MBA) from the Association of School Business Officials International for the last seven years. This award recognizes excellence in school budgeting presentation. 

The district can certainly look at raising fees in certain areas, understanding also there are implications to raising fees that may perpetuate inequities in our system. Some have suggested asking for large corporate donations, but we would need commitments of ongoing annual donations to help with the operational budget shortfall. Additionally, there are limited legal opportunities for public school districts to generate revenue as we cannot charge for elements of basic education. The primary driver of school district revenue is enrollment.

Yes, the district holds regular meetings with our state senators and representatives to discuss the district’s Legislative priorities which focus on increasing funding to reduce or eliminate the funding gaps. School district leaders also frequently testify on funding bills under consideration in the legislature to help identify impacts to schools. 

Information about budget adjustments will continue to be posted to the website and shared in district communication.

No decisions have been made on specific areas for cuts. Each year program reviews occur, and adjustments are made as needed based on those reviews. For Fall 2024 the district will continue to right size and align budgets to match enrollment, but we are not planning larger adjustments for the 2024-25 school year at this time. Due to a slight increase in enrollment and the $4.8 million in adjustments the district made for 2023-24, we can delay larger budget cuts for another year to allow for further development of the enrollment picture.

No decisions have been made on specific staffing reductions. As the district does every year, we must right size staffing to enrollment. So far, the district has been able to make most reductions through attrition (retirements, resignations and leaves) and has only had to do a limited number of subject specific RIFs.

A K-8 Highly Capable Program Review committee is currently working on a full program review. This committee will learn about promising practices in highly capable education, discuss considerations and make a recommendation for any potential changes to our current programs. A timeline for any changes will also be part of the recommendation. 

Each year, the district does make smaller scale changes to the elementary highly capable program to ensure efficiency in staffing. These changes are also due to capacity constraints in some buildings. We will continue to implement those changes and review staffing annually as we have updated enrollment and qualification numbers.

An elementary band/orchestra committee is currently working on a program review, learning and evaluation around this topic. This committee will discuss recommendations and consideration for any potential changes to our current programs and make a recommendation to the Superintendent.  

There is a committee working this year and into next to study the question of the high school day. That committee has not made a recommendation for changes at this time.

In September of 2022, the middle school athletics program review committee was revived to explore solutions to the remaining challenges of our current athletics model, as those challenges had become even greater. The committee includes building administrators, building athletic directors, and district office athletic personnel.

The committee continues to meet to identify interests, evaluate data, explore multiple options, and compare offerings to other school districts in the area. They completed a survey between January 26-February 9. Many ideas are being researched, reviewed, and debated. Note that any proposed changes would still have LWSD offering the most comprehensive middle school programming compared to our neighboring districts.

Learn more about the work of the middle school athletics program review committee here.

Changes to class size ratios can be an option, although arguably not a preferred option, when budgets reductions are needed. No decisions have been made in this area.

As elementary schools get smaller, combination classes or split grades (e.g. 4th Grade/5th Grade combined class) is a tool that can be used to provide more efficient staffing. We have not implemented split classrooms for several years, largely due to the complexity of teaching in a split classroom. We are exploring whether this option could be a revived practice in the future to help improve staffing efficiency, resulting in potential cost savings, but no decisions have been made.

The district will continue to provide communication regarding areas being considered for action. Targeted communication will be made to those most directly affected by any potential change and opportunity for comment will be provided. Timelines will be communicated for decision making. It is important to note any program reduction has an impact on some aspect of the LWSD community, which may or may not be equally or equitably distributed. Seeking feedback will be designed to understand those impacts rather than designed as a vote.

The district provides transportation only to those students living outside a one-mile radius. Within that radius, our practice allows elementary students to walk up to one and a half miles to school and middle and high school students to walk up to two miles. Students with walking distances that exceed these limits are eligible for bus service. As part of being a sustainable community, the district encourages families to walk, ride their bike or use public transportation to get to school. The state does not fully fund the cost of transportation now, so until the state eliminates that funding gap, any increases in transportation would mean additional reductions would need to be made.

The Equity Analysis can be found on the Equity section of the LWSD website here.

Neither State nor Federal money is available for the bulk of capital costs, like buying computers or renovating buildings. In Washington state, local school districts are responsible for raising their own money to provide 21st-century learning tools and to protect the taxpayer’s investment in our school buildings through proper long-term maintenance and upkeep. The district depends on the Capital Projects levy and Capital Construction Levies to fund technology, facilities, and school construction. 

SCAP is an acronym for State Construction Assistance Program. The district receives SCAP funding when we have an approved construction project, such as rebuilding an aging building. Districts apply for funds from the state and if eligible we are reimbursed after the expenditures occur. Our district is currently only eligible for SCAP when we rebuild an aging building. The funds reimbursed represent approximately 8% of the total cost of construction. The district receives no state funds when we have to build new buildings for growth. 

Funds for school construction are raised through local property taxes. Voters have to approve either a bond or capital levy to provide funding to the district. Approved funds are deposited into the capital projects fund and cannot be used for day-to-day operations. The ongoing costs of operating a new school (staffing, materials, utilities, etc.) is paid for out of the general fund.

Yes, the projections include the staffing, materials, and utilities costs that will be needed when the building opens.

The operating costs of a choice high school is approximately $1.5 Million. The operating costs of a 9th grade campus would be similar.

The original plans were for this project to open by Fall 2025. Information was shared at the February 5, 2024 board study session that due to permitting and site constraints, this project will be delayed by one-year and additional alternatives to this project are being explored.

There are no plans to construct an additional middle school in Sammamish at this time. An addition was put on Inglewood Middle school in the mid-1990’s as the majority of families preferred a larger school over being transported to a middle school off the plateau.

We engage a variety of strategies to retain employees. Paying regionally competitive wages, providing safe and clean work locations, regionalizing recruitment efforts to support employees working in the regions of the district in which they’re most interested, implementing remote work policies where possible, providing high quality professional development to support increasing skill and knowledge striving for a culture of high expectations coupled with high levels of support, maintaining a stable financial outlook for the district to avoid unnecessary adjustments to budget, and engaging in regular labor / management conversations to respond to our employees’ concerns are just a few of those strategies. 

Paraeducator staffing is largely driven by program need, and adding paraeducator staffing outside of program funding would result in further adjustments in other areas, including employee groups. There are not currently specific plans to change paraeducator staffing levels outside of what is driven programmatically and adjusted on a continuous basis. 

The district hires staff year round as resignations/retirements occur year round. Vacancies are filled as staff resign or retire. In most cases, substitutes are used to fill positions until the vacancy can be filled. In some cases, positions are temporarily unfilled which can result in savings for this district. These savings are temporary one-time savings and can’t be counted on long term.

Graduation rates are linked to a variety of things, including the quality of our educational programs in Lake Washington. Part of the work in making budget adjustments is to evaluate the efficacy of existing programs, invest in programs to support student learning aligned with our strategic priorities, and decrease our overall expenditures to align with revenue without harmful impact on our graduation rate or other measures of student success. Right sizing staffing based on enrollment and program evaluations are two ways we are attempting to adjust expenditures without negatively impacting measures of student success.