School District receives State funds for 2012/13

Wrangell Public School District is expected to receive $84,517 from the State of Alaska to use towards the upcoming school year’s budget.

The extra money is part of a one-time $25 million allocation to Alaska schools approved by the State Legislature Sunday.

District Superintendent Rich Rhodes announced the news at Monday’s School Board meeting, as well as other additions to the school budget.

Rhodes said Wrangell will also receive a proposed additional $17,772 for Career and Technical Education and Vocational Education, which will mainly be used for the middle school.

He also received word health care costs for the District are expected to decrease by two percent.

“We had been budgeting a pretty significant amount of money for an increase in the 13 to 15 percent range,” Rhodes said. “So pretty good news today budget wise.”

Rhodes told the Sentinel the nearly $85,000 from the State will be used toward funding the District’s top priorities.

However, it is a one-time allocation from the State, he said, and has to be used in the 2012/13 school-year, and the school district cannot plan on receiving the extra funds again next year.

“So we can’t allocate it to ongoing costs,” Rhodes said.

Rhodes said Monday the District has also received approximately $30,000 for transportation costs.

The School Board approved the additional funds along with the 2012/13-district budget Monday night, and it will now be sent to the Borough Assembly.