Using Desired Outcomes and Priorities for Progress to Make Budget Decisions

This budget reflects investment of resources aligned with The Bellingham Promise. The resources and spending sustain current programs and services in addition to program enhancements and recommendations coming from our budget process and district committees. 

Our central mission is to improve student learning. To that end, The Bellingham Promise, our strategic plan created collaboratively with our community and adopted by the Board of Directors, will serve as the primary guide for making budget decisions.

In addition, we will use the following philosophy and criteria to assist in making budget decisions that:

• Advance and support The Bellingham Promise, our strategic plan;
• Do not violate the law or negotiated agreements;
• Protect the safety of students, staff and community;
• Take stakeholder input into account;
• Align with actions of the state Legislature;
• Identify strategic savings rather than across-the-board reductions;
• Promote additional operational efficiencies;
• Consider nonemployee-related expense reductions before personnel reductions;
• Consider reducing local subsidies of state and federal categorical programs;
• Continue to work with our community to pursue alternative or additional revenue sources;
• Continue to support Project Free Education whereby families are not asked to pay towards school supplies and some activities; and
• Support the One Schoolhouse approach by differentiating resources to support all schools.

In the event of state and/or federal revenue reductions, we may want to enhance programs, staffing or items in exchange for implementing other reductions.

In these cases, we will:

• Be strategic and intentional in the enhancement of programs, staffing or items based upon their value-added to achieving the previously identified academic ends/outcomes for students;  
• Prioritize enhancement of programs, staffing or items based upon their value-added to implementing the district graduation’s requirements and preparing PreK–12 students to meet those requirements;
• Continue to promote operational efficiencies; and
• Ensure compliance with state and federal reform and accountability requirements including the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), and the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) which include proficiency and readiness to learn for all students and targeted support for students not yet at standard, low-income, special education and multilingual learners.

Budget Decision-Making Processes

This budget reflects investment of resources aligned with The Bellingham Promise. The resources and spending sustain current programs and services in addition to program enhancements and recommendations coming from our budget process and district committees.