Sequim Gazette staff

A draft of the Sequim School District’s $29.5 million budget sees some significant changes this fall, as school leaders prepare for all-day kindergarten classes at both Sequim elementary schools and distribute more state funds legislators agreed to allocate following this year’s legislative session.

“It’s a watershed year,” Brian Lewis, executive director of business services for the Sequim School District, said.

Lewis said the district is anticipating the equivalent of 35 more students in 2015-2016 to about 2,685 students, with the bulk of growth coming when kindergarten students are counted as full-time students, rather than a one-half equivalent as in past years.

The district looks to add personnel this fall, including five teaching positions at the kindergarten level, four special education positions throughout the district, an added counselor position at Sequim High School, and to spend about $370,000 more in curriculum, technology and facilities maintenance projects.

Washington state lawmakers, under a state Supreme Court order in the McCleary case to boost basic education funding, increased basic education funding by $1.3 billion statewide. Lewis said he’s suggesting the district keep 8.2 percent of operating costs in the general fund balance — up from 7.5 percent — in case there are costs associated with parents switching their kindergartners from half-time to full-time in the middle of the school year.

“It gives us an escape hatch in case kindergarten enrollment doesn’t show up like we think it will,” he told Sequim School Board directors Monday night.

A hearing and possible adoption of the budget comes to board directors at their meeting at 6 p.m. on Aug. 17.

Find the draft budget proposal at Lewis’ district page: www.sequim.k12.wa.us/domain/8.

The district’s 2014-2015 school year budget was $26.7 million.