Valley school board talks budget with state legislators

State Representatives Glenn Anderson and Jay Rodne met with representatives of the Snoqualmie Valley School District over breakfast Friday, Dec. 17.

State Representatives Glenn Anderson and Jay Rodne met with representatives of the Snoqualmie Valley School District over breakfast Friday, Dec. 17.

The meeting was uneventful, but it reassured School Superintendent Joel Aune that the District 5 Representatives are aware of and concerned about the financial challenges for schools in the area of state funding.

“They seemed to have a good grasp of the reality we’re facing,” said Aune after the meeting.

In the past four years, Aune told the legislators, Snoqualmie Valley School District has seen a $6 million reduction in state funding. As of the legislature’s emergency-session adoption of the 2011 budget, the district is anticipating a loss of more than $300,000, money which will have to be cut from the current school-year’s budget.

“Its very difficult to absorb that kind of a hit mid year,” said Aune.

The school board will discuss the loss and how to address it at its Jan. 6 meeting, 7:30 p.m. in the district office.