Mount Baker Monthly Update

Hello Mount Baker families!

I hope this message finds you well! We are now in our second full week of the school year, and it’s been wonderful to see students and staff settling into their routines.

A priority for the District is to continually engage with the community in a variety of ways, whether through social media, co-curricular events, or meetings and forums. This fall, we are introducing Community Connects, a series of meetings designed to gather input and feedback from our community.

We will host four Community Connects sessions during October and November. These unstructured meetings offer a chance for open dialogue with community members, and I’m excited to host them. Each meeting will last about 60 minutes, and while there is no formal agenda, some potential discussion topics may include:

• School finance
• Legislative support for schools
• Co-curricular activities
• Transportation
• Celebrating school successes

These meetings are scheduled to coincide with other events on our campuses, and the different locations are intended to offer geographic convenience. Feel free to attend whichever session works best for you and your family.

Session Schedule:

• Session 1: October 8 at Harmony Elementary, 4:15 – 5:15, preceding a PTO meeting
• Session 2: October 17 at JH/HS Campus, 5:30 – 6:30, preceding a varsity volleyball game
• Session 3: November 13 at Acme Elementary, 5:30 – 6:30, following a PTO meeting
• Session 4: November 18 at Kendall Elementary, 5:30 – 6:30, following a PTA meeting

I look forward to seeing you at these Community Connects sessions. If you or a family member requires accommodations or translation services, please contact the district office at 360-383-2000.

Sincerely,

Nick Perigo

Interim Superintendent

Early September has been a busy time around Mount Baker campuses. Take a look at some of the fun happenings below.

This section of the monthly update will highlight many of the great co-curricular activities going on around the Mount Baker School District.

The FFA will be hosting a salmon BBQ this Friday, September 20 from 5:00 to 7:00. This is a great opportunity to enjoy a meal before the football game and support our FFA program. The menu includes:

• Sockeye salmon (donated by Icy Strait)
• Corn on the cob
• Baked beans
• Potato/Macaroni Salad
• Drink

There will be a few tickets available at the door before 5:30 or they can be purchased from a Mount Baker FFA member or by calling 360-617-4570.

The cost is $20 for folks 10 and older and $15 for under 10. You're welcome to eat before the game or take a to-go box.

A special shout out to the band for their great work and support! In addition to their concerts and parades, the band is a great source of pride at pep assemblies and sporting events.

Pictured is the band rehearsing under the direction of Mr. Jon Ross.

The cheerleaders of Mount Baker High School work hard to ensure student-athletes feel supported during their contests and that fans have a great experience on game night!

Pictured are cheerleaders at a recent football game.

An update from director of finance, Brian Fraser:

This time of year is a great time review some basics for school finance. While our fiscal year is officially closed as of August 31, there is still a lot to be sorted out before we know the actual fund balance that we will move forward into the 24-25 school year. We are cautiously optimistic that we have done better than predicted in the budget for this year.

Schools have five distinct funds, and each has its own funding source and stipulations on how money can be spent.

• General Fund
• Funding Source: 71% State, 16% local, 8% Federal, 5% other sources
• Purpose: Everything about the operation of the District
• Capital Projects Fund
• Funding Source: 95% State, 5% grants
• Purpose: Major repair and upgrades to facilities
• Debt Service Fund
• Funding Source: None
• Purpose: Pass through from other accounts to loans or bonds outstanding.
• ASB Fund
• Funding Source: 100% local
• Purpose: Cultural, Athletic, Recreational, and Social. Students lead the plan.
• Vehicle Transportation Fund
• Funding Source: 100% state
• Purpose: Only for yellow school busses

It is critical to note how much of this funding is coming from the state, the money allocated to us by our legislators is the vast majority of our funding. Across the state, there is a trend of underfunding. Costs have risen sharply, and the funding model has not kept up. As an example, the cost of our insurance and utilities is now only 49% funded by the state, an estimated shortfall of $670,000 for the 24-25 school year that the district has no choice but to pay.

Many of the education agencies across the state are pushing our legislators to do better, if you would like more information about this effort, this website by Washington Association of School Administrators is a great place to start.

• Thursday, September 19: Kendall Open House from 6:00p to 7:00p.
• Friday, September 20: FFA Salmon BBQ from 5:00p to 7:00p.
• Wednesday, September 25: Harmony Open House from 6:00p to 7:00p
• Thursday, September 26: Acme Open House from 6:00p to 7:00p (PTA providing free pizza at 5:30p).
• Thursday, September 26: School Board meeting at 6:00p.
• Tuesday, October 8: Community Connects Session 1 at Harmony at 4:15p.
• Thursday, October 10: School Board meeting at 6:00p.
• Friday, October 11: No school (staff development).
• Thursday, October 17: Community Connects Session 2 at JH/HS at 5:30p.
• All athletic schedules can be found on GoBakerAthletics.com.