School board decides not to hold a budget work session

Blaine school board member Erika Creydt moved to amend the board’s meeting calendar during its April 25 meeting to add a budget work session for June 20, but the motion died on the floor for lack of a second. Board president Dougal Thomas was absent from the meeting. 

Creydt had proposed during the March 28 board meeting to hold a budget work session open to the public before a regular board meeting and before budget adoption, which is scheduled July 25. 

Thomas and longtime board member Charles Gibson encouraged new board members to meet privately with either Blaine school district superintendent Christopher Granger or finance director Amber Porter to become more familiar with the budget, as they said they have previously done. 

New board member Don Leu said during the April 25 meeting he had met with Granger three times in the past couple of weeks to learn about the budget process. He said he saw no need for a work session as he has faith in Granger and Porter to devise the budget. 

Creydt said she met with Porter to go over the budget, but thought a public work session could be helpful for the community.

A draft budget will be available July 10 on the district’s website, bit.ly/3ecBHfb, and a public hearing will be held for community members to ask questions about the budget before its adoption during the July 25 meeting. 

Superintendent administrative assistant Tina Padilla said the district has never held a work session before a regular meeting. Work sessions have been scheduled on separate days in the past. 

Last year’s August 23 board meeting, which included a public hearing on the school budget, had about 50 parents and community members present during the public comment portion to protest governor Jay Inslee’s mask mandates. A handful stayed for the public hearing on the budget.