Juneau School District budget process to begin in January

The Juneau School District’s budget process is set.

The district’s budget committee will hold seven meetings between January 15th and February 26th before making recommendations to the Board of Education on March 5th.

The budget committee will include 17 voting members this year, up from seven last year. It will consist of one representative from each of the district’s twelve school site councils, three at-large community members, and one representative each from the Juneau Education Association and Juneau Education Support Staff.

All seven school board members also will serve on the committee in a non-voting capacity.

The board will appoint budget committee members at its regular meeting next week (December 11th). Board member Barbara Thurston and one of the public representatives will co-chair the committee.

At a recent school board meeting, Thurston said those appointed to the panel will have to look beyond their school to the district at large.

“We’re also telling members of the community that they’re not there to advocate for their school specifically. They’re there to look at the big picture for all Juneau students,” Thurston said. “Because what’s really going to have to happen in almost every circumstance is they’re going to need to do some votes that are not necessarily the best choice for your particular school.”

There will be two opportunities for public testimony during the process – one on January 22nd and again on February 19th.

All meetings will take place in the library at Dzantik’i Heeni Middle School, except for the last one, which will be held at the Juneau Douglas High School Library.

The school board crafts and approves the final budget, which is submitted to the Juneau Assembly.

JSD Budget Committee Meeting Schedule:

  • 01/15/13 DHMS-Library, 6PM-8PM Description of process; introductory training on budget
  • 01/22/13 DHMS-Library, 6PM-8PM Opportunity for public testimony; discussion of Strategic Plan and District programs; description of state funding; presentation of student count estimates for FY 14.
  • 01/29/13 DHMS-Library, 6PM-8PM Initial presentation of budget; questions from committee
  • 02/06/13 DHMS-Library, 6PM-8PM Budget committee discusses budget
  • 02/12/13 DHMS-Library, 6PM-8PM Budget committee discusses budget
  • 02/19/13 DHMS-Library, 6PM-8PM Opportunity for public testimony; Budget committee discusses budget
  • 02/26/13 DHMS-Library, 6PM-8PM Committee finalizes recommendations and prepares report for presentation to the School Board
  • 03/05/13 JDHS-Library, 6:15 PM Community members present recommendations to Board

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