For weeks, we've been hearing rumors of financial problems in the Pateros School District, and reports of lots of district employees losing their jobs. Now they've been confirmed, in a release last week from Interim Pateros Superintendent Mike Parker, who calls it a “serious financial situation.”
He says the state took back some of the district's annual apportionment of funds last month due to the district over reporting its enrollment by almost 75 students for the months of September, October, November and December. As you probably know, the state funds schools on the number of students they report.
In addition, Parker says the district has been hit with declining enrollment, from 294 full-time enrollments last June down to 265 students now.
Parker says he and the district's business manager, Yaneli Pamatz-Arevalo are working with the North Central Educational Service District's fiscal manager to manage the loss of funding. The funding for this school year ends on August 31st.