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.

More in News

Remains in shoe determined to belong to a bear

A shoe found earlier this week on the beach at… Continue reading

Patrick Zolpi-Mikols, a park aide with Fort Worden State Park, gathers and removes leaves covering the storm drains after an atmospheric river rainstorm early Wednesday morning in Port Townsend. A flood warning was issued by the National Weather Service until 11:11 a.m. today for the Elwha River at the McDonald Bridge in Clallam County. With the flood stage at 20 feet, the Elwha River was projected to rise to 23.3 feet late Wednesday afternoon and then fall below flood stage just after midnight. (Steve Mullensky/for Peninsula Daily News)
Cleaning storm drains

Patrick Zolpi-Mikols, a park aide with Fort Worden State Park, gathers and… Continue reading

Woman files suit against city of Port Angeles

Document alleges denial of constitutional rights

State report shows clean audit of Port of Port Angeles finances

Commissioners review five-year strategic plan

Port Townsend School District’s Food Service Director Shannon Gray in the Salish Coast production garden’s hoop house. (Elijah Sussman/Peninsula Daily News)
Port Townsend schools’ food program thriving

Staff growing produce, cooking meals from scratch

Brake failure leads to collision on west end of Hood Canal Bridge

A semi-truck towing a garbage truck suffered brake failure and… Continue reading

A two-car collision at U.S. Highway 101 and state Highway 112 partially blocked traffic for more than an hour on Tuesday. One person was transported to Olympic Medical Center, Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue said. (Clallam 2 Fire-Rescue)
Collision blocks traffic at highways 101, 112

One person was transported to Olympic Medical Center following… Continue reading

Library system to host gift-wrapping workshops

The North Olympic Library System will host free “Wrap… Continue reading

Shoe with human remains found on Sequim beach

A shoe containing human remains was found on the beach… Continue reading

Sue Bahl walks with an umbrella on West Eighth Street on Monday. Heavy rainfall up to 8 inches over the past several days has increased the threat of landslides in Western Washington, according to the National Weather Service. A flood watch also has been issued until 4 p.m. Friday for portions of northwest and west central Washington, including Clallam and Jefferson counties. Sharp rises in rivers, especially those flowing off the Olympics and Cascades, are expected, the National Weather Service said. (Dave Logan/for Peninsula Daily News)
Atmospheric river

Sue Bahl walks with an umbrella on West Eighth Street on Monday.… Continue reading

Clallam board approves budget, homelessness task force funds

County OKs eight proposals for housing, assistance

Five-year plan to address Jefferson County homelessness

Action steps assigned to jurisdictions, providers