Budget Badge #04 - Budget: Revenues-Budget Badge #4

Video Transcription

Video Summary

This video is WASBO Budget Badge #4 on budgeting school district revenues. Presenter Megan (a WASBO-certified school business official with accounting/finance experience) explains that districts must adopt a balanced budget where estimated revenues plus fund balance cover planned expenditures.

Revenues fall into four categories: <strong>local, state, federal, and other</strong>. Local includes <strong>property taxes/levies</strong> (largest local source) and <strong>non-tax</strong> items such as tuition/fees, sales, donations, rentals, fines, insurance recoveries, and investment earnings. State revenue (the largest overall share) includes apportionment and program funding such as basic education, special education, LAP, bilingual, highly capable, transportation, and food service. Federal revenue is largely grants (e.g., IDEA, Title programs, ESSER, impact aid, federal forest, USDA commodities—noting commodities are non-cash). “Other” includes transfers, financing, and asset sales.

Using statewide averages for 2022–23, revenues are about <strong>74% state, 14% local, 11% federal, 1% other</strong>. A 10-year trend shows federal spikes during ESSER and then declines; local revenue drops around McCleary-era levy limits while state revenue rises; total per-pupil revenue increases over time.

The session covers estimating revenues, especially <strong>levy projections</strong> using OSPI’s “Estimated Levy Authority/Local Effort Assistance” spreadsheet and explaining that <strong>two calendar-year levy collections</strong> affect one fiscal-year budget.

For state revenues, districts use OSPI’s <strong>F-203 (Estimate for State Revenues)</strong> (and the optional <strong>F-203X</strong> during legislative session). Estimates depend heavily on <strong>enrollment</strong>, and must match the F-195 budget. The <strong>“John Gnaft” budget driver</strong> spreadsheet helps track legislative changes to salaries, benefits, and MSOCs. Federal grant revenue is estimated by analyzing carryover, expected awards, and indirect costs, using iGrants/eGMS and program staff input.

Keywords

school district revenue budgeting

balanced budget requirement

local state federal other revenues

property tax levies

non-tax local revenue sources

OSPI Estimated Levy Authority spreadsheet

two calendar-year levy collections

OSPI F-203 Estimate for State Revenues

enrollment-driven revenue forecasting

federal grants iGrants eGMS carryover indirect costs