By Sentinel Staff
The Sitka School Board will meet 6 p.m. tonight in the Sitka High School library to give the public a preliminary presentation on the school budget.
“It’s too early to really know any details,” School District Superintendent Mary Wegner said.
The board also will include a report from board president Jennifer McNichol and member Elias Erickson about their trip to Juneau for the AASB Fly-In to lobby for school funding.
McNichol said the board will not delve into great detail on the school budget at tonight’s meeting, but is welcoming input from the community.
“It will be based on different funding scenarios at the state level, which would also affect the city funding as well,” McNichols said. “If the governor’s proposed budget went through as written it would actually lower the cap at the municipal level.”
A very basic revenue forecast will be also be laid out, Wegner said, based on a preliminary budget, a mid-range budget, and then Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s budget for state education funding.
“We just haven’t had the time or space to run any scenarios yet,” Wegner said. “There won’t be any specifics, but it will be an opportunity for people to voice their support for various programs and the work we’re doing.”
The board will be sharing the preliminary results of the 2019-2020 (fiscal year 2020) budget survey, which received close to 450 comments from the public. The survey is on the front page of the school district web site and closes on March 5.
Comments from the public will be accepted at tonight’s meeting as well, school officials said.
