Thank you West Valley patrons for your support of our Supplemental Educational Programs and Operations Levy.  We truly appreciate the confidence you have placed in us and will continue to be good stewards of these public funds. 

West Valley residents will have an opportunity to vote on a Supplemental Educational Programs and Operations Levy on the November 5, 2019 ballot.  This is a supplemental levy that will pay for high quality programs, services, and staff for students for two years (2020 and 2021).  It funds the difference between federal and state allocations for school funding and the actual cost of operating our schools. 

For additional information on the Supplemental Levy, please click here.

With this supplemental levy the total West Valley school tax will still be $1.10 below the historical average.

The Education Program and Operations Levy provides nearly 20% of our total budget.  These funds provide for teachers, textbooks, curriculum, high quality programs, co-curricular programs, transportation of students, school nurses, safety/security officers, educational assistants, and much more.

West Valley students receive a quality education through:

• Gifted programs, advanced placement programs, engineering and robotics programs, bio-medical science programs, and many more.
• Strong academic curriculum.
• Award winning extra-curricular programs.
• Thriving community partnerships.
• Sound fiscal management that receives praise from state auditors.
• A graduation rate of 97.8% (well over the state average of 76.5%)

As a result of legislative changes to state and local levy funding for the 2019-20 school year, West Valley School District put a plan in place to operate with less revenue by reducing expenditures with as minimal an impact on students as possible.

District communication about projected budget shortfall:

• In the spring of 2018, Dr. Sementi visited every school and department to talk to staff about projected cuts and the plan moving forward 
• In February of 2019 Dr. Sementi returned to each school and department to explain the decisions about proposed reductions
• A community meeting was held in January 2019 to inform the public of these changes 
  
  

District actions in anticipation of the budget shortfall:

• Staffing was reduced through attrition (i.e. resignations and retirement positions were not replaced)
• All major remodel and upkeep projects were postponed
• Curriculum adoptions were postponed

These changes helped build a budget fund balance. Those saved fund balance dollars will now be used to help offset the cost of running the district with less state funding.

To prepare for the 2019-20 revenue shortfall, expenditure reductions include:

• A reduction of ten teachers, most through attrition. (Two educators’ first-year provisional contracts were not continued.)
• Building custodial staff will be reduced by ten positions, seven through retirements and resignations
• There will be a reduction in educational and administrative assistant positions but these changes will depend on the final legislative budget
• Budgets for levy funded programs and extra-curricular activities will be reduced

Click here to read a Spokesman Review article published July 16, 2019, regarding small district budget shortfalls, including an explanation from Superintendent Sementi on the West Valley 2019-20 budget.