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May 2023 District Newsletter
Posted by Kiona-Benton City School District on 5/8/2023Kiona-Benton City School District Community Newsletter
May 2023
In this edition:
School Finance Questions & Answers
When and how a school district can spend the dollars it receives can seem complicated at times. Kiona-Benton City School District Executive Director of Finance, Drew Raab, and Assistant Executive Director of Finance and Personnel, Mona Van Hollebeke, developed the following School Finance Q&A to help break down some common questions.
How does the District’s budget work?
A budget is an estimate of income (or revenue) and expenditures for a set period of time. It also allows the school district to establish a capacity to spend. Because a budget is an estimate, it may be revised and changed as long as the amounts are within capacity.
How is the budget created and approved?
The budget is created by district finance staff for review and adoption by the school board of directors. There is a public hearing advertised and held annually in June (unless otherwise advertised) where the Board can hear public comments before adopting the budget.
What is the breakdown of Levy expenses?
(Learn more about the Kiona-Benton Educational Programs & Operations Levy at www.kibesd.org/levy.)
• Safety Training/Insurance
• Administrative Staff/Student Support
• Student Supervision/Crosswalk
• Training/Supplies
• Athletics
• Music/Art/PE ProgramsWhat is State Apportionment and how does it work?
State Apportionment is the payment schedule of state monies owed to a school district. The amount of money that a district receives throughtout the year is based off of budgeted enrollment numbers as the state allocates a certain dollar amount per student. The total dollar amount that the district receives each month varies, based on the payment schedule. For November, May, and June, the state gives the smallest percentage of payment because that is when districts generally receive the most property tax dollars. They go with the assumption that since districts receive high tax dollars in these months, not as much funding from them is needed. Our highest two months are July and August at 22.5% of our revenue. Due to the influx of revenue coming in each month, it is normal for the fund balance to fluctuate throughout the year.
How do grant monies and reimbursement work?
For a few of our grants, they fall under the State Apportionment Schedule and are reimbursed at the current month’s rate. For the remainder of our grants, we have to submit the expenses that incurred throughout the previous month and ask for reimbursement, which comes in at the end of the current month. For example, we will submit all April expenses by May 15th and be reimbursed at the end of May. Due to a month lag time in reimbursement, it is important for the district to try to spread out large grant expenditures to help limit cashflow problems.
Staff Highlights & Celebrations
Rebecca Turner Receives 2023 Crystal Apple Award
On March 9th, 2023, we joined eight other regional school districts to recognize outstanding educators as part of the 25th Annual Crystal Apple Awards for Excellence in Education. Each year, school districts bring forward one educator to represent their district. For 2023, our district was proudly represented by Kiona-Benton City Middle School teacher, Rebecca Turner.When you work in a community like Benton City, you need to be a hard worker, because our community expects as much effort from its educators as is delivered by local parents and community members. Rebecca Turner epitomizes hard work and has internalized a fundamental belief that all kids can learn and thrive in any academic setting.
Mrs. Turner has worked for Kiona-Benton schools since 1998. Since that time, she has taught in our Special Education department from 3rd grade through 8th grade, from Resource Room to Structured Learning, to co-teaching with general education teachers. It is in this last area that Mrs. Turner has really demonstrated her capabilities, as she not only teaches in the co-teaching model, but also was instrumental in exploration and adoption of that model at the middle school, which has now grown to include the high school.
Where Mrs. Turner shines is in problem solving and thinking outside the box. When our district ran into scheduling issues earlier this year, it was Mrs. Turner who took the lead to find a solution, putting classes on white boards and looking at the academic levels of each middle school student to determine best and appropriate placement. When she saw a growing need for services with our visually impaired students, she did what anyone would do – she went back to school to become certified to provide vision services!
In nominating Mrs. Turner, current Principal Chuck Feth states, “Rebecca Turner is a true professional. Not only is she an excellent teacher, but she is a willing resource for our staff. She is willing to share strategies with her peers to help them conquer the many challenges of teaching our students.”
District administrators such as principals or the superintendent tend to lean heavily on the folks in the district or building who are capable, hard working and who base decisions solely on doing what is best for kids. This was noticed by the Benton City Community when they named Mrs. Turner as the middle school Teacher of the Year in 2020, and we are proud to say that her exemplary service continues to this day as the 2023 Crystal Apple winner for Kiona-Benton City Schools. Congratulations, and thank you, Mrs. Turner!
Dirk Hanson Named High School Vice Principal and Athletic Director
Kiona-Benton City High School is welcoming a new Vice Principal / Athletic Director. Dirk Hanson says he is excited to join the Ki-Be family."My wife Christina and myself, along with our two boys, look forward to being Ki-Be Bears," says Mr. Hanson. "My son, Cooper, will be entering the 9th grade and his favorite sports are football and basketball. My other son, Spencer, will be entering the 11th grade and enjoys playing football and basketball.
Mr. Hanson comes to Kiona-Benton with 30 years of experience in education. Over the years, he has served in the roles of athletic director, assistant principal, teacher, and coach.
"I look forward to giving the Ki-Be community my very best effort! Go Bears!"
Download the full flyer
$10 Sports Physical Clinic on May 20th
Lourdes Health and Trios Health are hosting a sports physical clinic on Saturday, May 20, from 9 AM - 12 PM. Open to all middle and high school students. Physicals are $10 and 100% of the proceeds will be donated back to student's school sports programs to purchase athletic safety equipment. Learn more at www.trioshealth.org/sports-physicals.
Child Find Screening Notification
IDEA requires all states to have a “comprehensive Child Find system” to assure that all children, birth to 21, who are in need of early intervention or special education services, are located, identified, and referred. Effort is made to reach:
- Children who reside within the school district boundaries, including preschool-aged children;
- Children attending approved, nonprofit private elementary and secondary schools located within the District boundaries;
- Highly mobile children (such as homeless, foster care, and migrant children)
- Children who have a disability and may need special education services even though they are advancing from grade to grade; and
- Children at home or home-schooled.
Do you have a question about your child’s development? Contact the Kiona-Benton City School District Special Services at 509-588-2024 if:
- You have questions whether your child has a disability.
- You are concerned about your infant, toddler, or preschooler’s development.
- You know your child has a disability and are looking for appropriate educational services.
- You would like to know how to help your school age child succeed in school.
Evaluations for infants and toddlers:
The Kiona-Benton City School District, in contract with ESD 123, offers free-of-cost evaluations for infants and toddlers, birth through three. This evaluation will help you to determine if your child is following a typical pattern of development. If appropriate, ESD 123 will provide early intervention help for your child. For questions or assistance, contact the ESD 123 Early Childhood Special Education Administrator at 509-544-5744.
Three to five year olds:
Developmental screenings and evaluation are provided by Kiona-Benton City School District for children between the ages of three and five, to identify possible delays in language, motor, cognitive or social-emotional development. If you have questions or concerns about your preschooler’s development, or to refer a child for evaluation, contact the Special Services Office at 509-588-2024.
School Age Children:
The Kiona-Benton City School District identifies children ages five through 21 who may have a suspected disability. A parent, staff member, community member, or private school staff member may refer a student at their local school by contacting the School Counselor or School Psychologist at your child’s school.
If you need further assistance, please call Diann Zavala, Director of Special Services, at 509-588-2024.
2023-2024 School Supply Lists Are Online Now
Find school supply lists by grade level on our website at www.kibesd.org under the Students & Families tab > School Supply Lists.Important Dates in Kiona-Benton City Schools
May
- 2 – Ki-Be Schools Community Council Meeting, 6:00pm, High School Library
- 4 – GEAR Up Fieldtrip to CWU, Ellensburg
- 6 – Prom at Blank Slate in Benton City, 8:00-11:00 PM
- 9 – Elementary ASB Meeting
- 18 – Band, Choir & Drama Performance, 6:30-8:00 PM, High School PAC
- 22 – High School Play, Greek Mythology Olympiagonza, 6:30 PM, High School PAC
- 23 – Elementary ASB Meeting
- 26 – Elementary School Mis-Match Day
- 26 – Early Release at 11:00am
- 26 – Middle School Community Service Day
- 29 – NO SCHOOL, Memorial Day
June
- 3 – High School Graduation, 9:00 AM
- 5-9 – Camp Wooten for 6th graders
- 6 – Ki-Be Schools Community Council Meeting, 6:00pm, High School Library
- 8 – Kindergarten Graduation, 8:30 AM
- 8 – 8th Grade Promotion Ceremony, 6:00 PM, Middle School Gym
- 8 – Finals in periods 1-3, Early Release at 11:00 AM
- 9 – Finals in periods 4-6, Early Release at 11:00 AM
- 12 – Last Day of School, Early Release at 11:00 AM
- June 20 - July 20 – Summer School, 8:00AM - 12:00 PM
- 26-30 – WSU STEM Camp (grades 3-5 only)
Kiona-Benton City School District
1105 Dale Ave, Benton City, WA 99320
Phone: 509-588-2000 // www.kibesd.org // Nondiscrimination Statement
Twitter @KIBE_District • Facebook @KiBeSchools • Instagram @kionabentonschooldistrict
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