Washington County Board of Education approves $464 million budget for 2022-23 school year

Brent Bills, business administrator for Washington County School District, presents the budget proposal for the 2022-23 school year to the board of education, St. George, Utah, June 21, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

ST. GEORGE — At the latest meeting for the local school board, trustees voted unanimously to approve the final budget for the 2021-22 school year and to accept the budget proposal for 2022-23, with plans to spend $464 million in the next 12 months.

Stock image | Photo by Zimmytws/iStock/Getty Images Plus, St. George News

Brent Bills, business administrator for the Washington County School District, introduced the budget proposal prior to its final public hearing on June 21. Comparing the upcoming school year to the last, total expenditures increased by about 7%, but revenues rose by 1%. 

The most significant difference between the upcoming school year and the last, Bills said, was the notable jump in the district’s assessed valuation – the taxable value of all property in Washington County.

“Our county had a major reassessment – as of Dec. 31, the value of Washington County actually went up by about 34% for the same properties year-over-year,” Bills said, “which means that people are going to be paying a lot more in property taxes.”

In response to the $10 billion increase in valuation, the board voted to cut the property tax levies it controls, but the basic levy set by the state will be almost the same as last year. Even with the board’s cuts, the budget forecasts an additional $24 million in property tax revenues. 

The prospect of increasing tax rates and the particulars of budget management were of great interest to the handful of residents that offered comments during the public hearing session.

Members of the public listen as school administrators discuss policy at a meeting of the Washington County Board of Education, St. George, Utah, June 21, 2022 | Photo by Ammon Teare, St. George News

“With the impact on families from new taxes and the cost of living increase, I am begging you to cut your budget,” said Erika Hodges, a local parent and homeowner. “Just because you have access to that money does not mean we should be using it. Please cut wherever you can.”

Another attendee asked the board to be mindful of its ties to the federal government and urged the board to forego federal funding. Between next year and the last, the district will receive an estimated $110 million from federal sources, an unusually high two-year total thanks in large part to stimulus funds made available through the coronavirus aid bill and other programs.

Residents also asked questions about the management of the student activity fund, which pays for things like uniforms and instruments that are then reimbursed through student fees. The activity fund is balanced, so any expenses listed there are not a net loss for the district, Bills said.

The student activity fund is one of five funds that compose the overall budget, along with maintenance and operation, debt services, capital projects and food services. The maintenance and operation fund is the largest in terms of revenue and expenditures by far, followed by debt services and capital projects.

The maintenance and operation fund – which pays for things like teacher salaries, employee benefits, supplies and materials, utilities and equipment costs – totaled $303 million in 2021-22 and is expected to increase to $347 million in 2022-23.

A pair of pie charts from the budget proposal illustrate revenue sources and expenditures for the 2022-23 school year | Image courtesy of the Washington County School District, St. George News

The new budget allocates $17 million more than last year for employee salaries, concurrent pay increases recently approved for both certified employees and support staff.

“We really did our best this year to try and put the increase from the Legislature into our salaries across the school district – teachers, bus drivers, aides, food service workers,” Bills said, “because we need to retain the best people we possibly can, especially with the high cost of living that we’re dealing with down here at this time.”

Besides the challenge of retaining qualified teachers at a time when home values and living expenses are at an all-time high, the district also feels the squeeze of Southern Utah’s development in its efforts to keep up with a growing population.

Enrollment for Washington County schools totaled 36,456 in 2021 and is projected to increase by about 500 for the upcoming school year. With nine significant building projects in the last four years, including five brand new schools, the district has assumed more debt and allocated more funds for capital projects than other school districts with more stable populations.

Since per-student-spending doesn’t account for building projects, the county ($8,158/student) and state average ($9,320/student) lag far behind the national average ($14,000/student). 

“The way that funding works in the state of Utah, growth actually can hurt you because people can only afford to pay so much in property taxes,” Bills said. “In Washington County, our average household income is below the state average but our house selling costs are at or above the state average. Property tax becomes a larger percentage of people’s household income, and that makes it tough.”

It’s a constant balancing act for the district to keep up with enrollment and maintain existing buildings without raising levies too high, Bills added. In fact, Washington County’s 2021 property tax rate was slightly lower than average for districts across the state of Utah, and when the debt service levy is removed from the equation it has the third-lowest tax rate in the state.

There is light at the end of the tunnel at least for the recent building spree, as capital project expenditures are projected to fall by about 24% to a total of $33 million in 2022-23.

Food Services saw the second-largest decrease in relative costs between 2021-22 and 2022-23, falling by 15% due to the end of the free lunch program for all students. For more information, the full budget is now publicly available on the district website.

Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.

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