Port Angeles: Monroe School closed, cuts made – — – but school district still bathed in red ink

PORT ANGELES — Closing Monroe Elementary School and paring administrative and maintenance expenses wasn’t enough.

The Port Angeles School District is still $164,036 in the red.

The School Board will hold a public hearing Monday on a proposed $36.68 million district budget for the coming school year, which starts in less than a month.

The hearing, at 6 p.m. in the Central Services Building, 216 E. Fourth St., will allow board members to make more cuts or take other actions in an attempt to balance the budget.

The board is expected to approve the operating budget Aug. 23 to allow the district to meet a state deadline of Sept. 1.

School starts for students on Sept. 7.

Business and Operations Director Jim Jones said district revenues are expected to total $36,676,455, but expenditures as now projected will total $37,266,451.

“The budget deficit is due to spending 2003-04 restricted carryover funds of $425,960 in 2004-05 and an increase in (employee) medical benefits costs of $638,641 the state under-funded,” Jones said.

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