Clover Park School District announcement.
Prior to its regular meeting on July 11, the Clover Park School District (CPSD) Board of Directors held a public hearing on the proposed 2022-23 school year budget.
Greg Hart, executive director for finance and business services, shared information on 2022-23 enrollment projections, beginning fund balance for the general fund, budgeted expenditures and revenues, and materials, supplies and operating costs.
Hart’s presentation also included budget information for the associated student body, debt service, capital projects and transportation vehicle funds.
For questions about the budget, please call Hart at 253-583-5010.
During its July 11 board meeting, the CPSD Board of Directors heard a report from Superintendent Ron Banner.
Superintendent’s Report
In his report, Banner introduced the new assistant superintendent for secondary schools, Dr. Gloria Henderson, and discussed student achievement and community engagement.
Student Achievement
- Summer school and summer enrichment programs are active at several school sites for students.
Community Engagement
- In July, Banner attended a fundraiser at the Principal of Peace Lutheran Church in Lakewood. Pastor Paul is a strong community partner who supports students, families and staff as well as the Loaves and Fishes program, which provides food to students and the greater Lakewood community during the holiday season.
As part of the Individual Action Agenda, the Board of Directors:
- Authorized participation in Washington state school district credit enhancement program.
- Authorized issue, sale and delivery of refunding 2012 bonds. Authorized superintendent and executive director for finance and business services to provide approval for bond refunding process and accept underwriter’s offer to purchase refunding bonds.
- Adopted 2022-23 school year budget.
The next regular meeting of the school board will be Monday, Aug. 8, at 6 p.m.
Yet another “sanitized” version of events by CPSD; half truths that obfuscate what actually happened so that the District can “look good”. This is not transparency; this is trickery.
Public hearing? To 11 July 2022 not one single member of the public attended or spoke at any of the prior budget “public meetings”. There was no point to doing so since budget discussions were set up so public comment and Board member understanding were irrelevant. It was an administrative budget without any real consideration as to the Districts real clientele: students and tax payers.
I attended and spoke at the 11 July public hearing…..the only one who did……and addressed the shortfalls in the District’s budgeting process (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B0mQsAKIQfI, 16:36-22.38). That’s a total of 6 minutes of public comment during a “hearing” dominated for 18 minutes by staff briefings.
What’s also missing in this Board review at the subsequent regular Board meeting was the spirited discussion about the budget, its shortfalls and recommendation that it be reopened to deal with these issues since it did not have to be voted on until 31 August 2022. That motion by Directors Anderson and Wagemann was defeated with Directors Pearson, Veliz, and Jacobs voting no. Apparently the them a quarter of a billion dollar budget isn’t worth a second look. The budget of $240,000,000,000+ was subsequently passed 3 yes (Pearson, Veliz, Jacobs) to 2 no (Anderson, Wagemann).
That’s your money; your taxes and your children that will be affected by a budget that lacks academic goals as the basis for how the District budgets its funds. Indeed the budget was not even included in discussion of the academic accountability process. School budgets need to me more than just paying salaries and keeping the lights on.
This is not how you run your home budget, or work with a contractor. Nor should it be the way the District formulates its budget.