In a report, the West Shore Educational Service District developed a, “conservative,” general fund budget for the 2025-2026 year.
One thing they proposed was to increase their property tax revenue by 5% because the School Aid Act will not be passing for next school year. It was put in place, in 1979, to financially support public schools.
Despite this, the ESD expects to receive an increase in grant revenues, such from the Michigan Early Warning Intervention and Monitoring Systems, an estimate of $1,037,000.
Also in expectation are federal grants of about $5,000.
Typically, the ESD would receive the following government grants, but they are said to be facing reductions.
23h Math Grants once provided $258,000, and will no longer provide that figure. MiStem, another grant, once provided $55,000. These are both state grants.
As for federal, while TRAILS Social Emotional Curriculum once provided $179,000, it will no longer. High Impact Leadership, another, will no longer provide it’s $39,000. Finally, Title I RAGE, for $35,000, will also face reductions.
“As a result we are projecting the general fund balance to be reduced by approximately $56,000 at the end of the 2025-2026 fiscal year,” as written in the report.
The ESD will be relying on their partnerships with the school districts they serve to make budgetary decisions.
“The board of education designated $700,000 and approved an additional $300,000 [one time] from the general fund for local schools,” Superintendent Jason Jeffrey said.
Previous Budget
It was shown that the ESD had $7,550,526 in expenditures in their 2023-2024 budget.
In it, instructional services was second to early childhood in most dollars expended.
Instructional services made up 26% of the total expenditures. A bulk of the funding came from state and federal grants.
With government grants, it is often the case that the money must be spent according to their guidelines.
Behavioral health sciences was in third in expenditures. It consists of mental health and behavioral counseling sessions for students.
10% of expenditures came from the Board of Education, the Office of the Superintendent, Business Services, as well as Human Resources, Pupil Auditing Services, and Operations and Maintenance.
The remainder of expenditures were for early college, collaborative services, and technology.
In the report, it was written that about 73 students in the ESD participate in the early college program with West Shore Community College.
