MARYSVILLE, Wash. — The stakes could not be higher at Marysville School District after a stern and critical letter informed the board of "enhanced financial oversight" by state leaders "to prevent dissolution" of the district.
Thursday was the students' first day back at school. The same day, the board voted to adopt a newly proposed budget, which contains a starting balance in the General Fund of $1.26 million. The district has been working to cut millions in spending.
"I have to be [in favor of] the budget because we're at the 12 o'clock hour. OSPI's gonna look at it, they're gonna scrutinize it," said Mike Hogan, a Marysville man who publicly commented at Thursday's meeting.
If Marysville School District's leaders' spending doesn’t meet the criteria of State Superintendent Chris Reykdal, the district-- comprised of nearly 10,000 students-- stands at risk of being dissolved altogether.
Amid an alarming financial crisis, Marysville School District is the subject of added pressure from Washington's Office of State Public Instruction, where Reykdal told the board on Wednesday, "I have lost confidence that the district has the decision-making tools or current personnel necessary to fix its financial situation on their own."
In a move Washington has yet to see in its history of K-12 education, Reykdal is placing the Marysville School District under what's called "Enhanced Financial Oversight."
A downward spiral of enrollment is partially to blame for the budget crisis, but district leaders also point to two failed levees from 2022.
In so many words, Reykdal accused the district of making excuses "rather than prioritizing solving the budget deficit."
That didn't go over well with some at Thursday's board meeting.
"I'm a little unhappy at the committee and at Reykdal's response that we're complaining that we're not getting enough funding in Marysville. It's the truth. We're not getting the funding we should have," said Nancy Harvey, who tutors students in the district.
Reykdal also said he will be appointing a "special administrator" to oversee their spending. This sparked questions on Thursday from board member Eliza Davis.
"Oh, are we gonna have to pay for that?" said Davis.
Her one request, she said, "is that that special administrator attends every single one of these meetings with us and sits up here with us if they're gonna be making all the decisions."
Despite the many unknowns, Davis said she thinks Reykdal and the state's Financial Oversight Committee will be satisfied with the proposed 2024-25 budget they have now adopted.
With enhanced oversight by the state, Marysville leaders are currently forbidden from hiring, handing out employee bonuses, and purchasing technology, among other things.
The state's Financial Oversight Committee recommended Reykdal potentially require that they cut all sports programs for students, but Reykdal did not mention anything about that in his letter to district leaders.