Note: An earlier version of this article incorrectly listed the average financial health score for all other Clark County K-12 school districts as 3.02 in the 2023-24 school year. The correct average is 2.64.
Battle Ground Public Schools’ financial health score saw a boost in recently updated rankings from the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, which monitors all Washington state school districts’ finances.
Battle Ground’s score improved from 3.05 to 3.35 for the 2023-24 school year, the most recent for which scores are available. The average score for all other K-12 Clark County school districts last year was 2.64.
For the 2023-24 school year, Battle Ground maintained or improved its ranking in three out of the four categories used to calculate scores:
What percentage of a district’s revenue it currently has in reserve
How much is spent of every dollar that is brought in
Number of days a district could operate if all funding were to dry up suddenly
How many years a district has reported having a fund balance deficit. Districts use fund balances to cover current, future, and unexpected costs; plan for future needs; and manage changes in funding. Some funds are restricted or designated as nonspendable; others have already been assigned for other purposes. A healthy fund balance helps ensure financial stability. Conversely, a fund balance deficit can affect a district’s ability to pay bills and respond to unexpected events.
The scores are intended to provide a snapshot of a school district’s financial health over time. Higher scores indicate greater financial stability and ability to respond to unexpected expenditures.
A 4.0 is considered a perfect score. Scores below 1.75 result in the state issuing a warning. Following the warning, a district that enters the second phase will lose local control over its finances. If the district still cannot become financially stable, it could be dissolved and annexed into other school districts.
Battle Ground has maintained a 3.05 or higher score since the 2016-17 school year, and fiscal responsibility is an important component of the district’s strategic plan. In addition, the district is audited annually. The Washington State Auditor’s Office issued clean audit reports for the district in spring 2024.
2024-25 and beyond
For the current school year, the district cut $6.2 million from its budget in response to the end of federal pandemic relief money. The district was able to do this without laying off staff. In addition, the board approved the one-time use of $2.3 million from the unassigned minimum fund balance. These funds allowed the district to continue to meet the needs of students while operating within its means.
Beyond the current school year, maintenance or improvement of the district’s score will require either additional revenue or further budget cuts to accommodate increasing costs. Further use of the unassigned fund balance may be possible with school board approval. However, district policy requires an unassigned minimum fund balance of 4% to 6%.