By NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — The weighted enrollment numbers for Hutchinson USD 308 will actually have a positive impact on the school district's budget.
"Our overall weighted enrollment, where you get to count things like at-risk and transportation and ESOL and those kinds of things, vocational, bilingual, everything but special ed, we were actually up 85 and so our weighted enrollment is 5965, up from 5879."
Actual enrollment was down fewer than ten students.
"With the weighted enrollment being up, you know, eighty plus or eighty-five, you take that times the $4706 per pupil, we look to generate about $400,000 in additional funds in this year's budget."
Because of the challenges all entities are having with hiring, though, that may not actually mean more people to teach those kids.
"We've been trying to use some ESSER funding to hire additional instructional support staff to help get our kids caught up from the pandemic," Folks said. "The labor market is such that it's been very difficult, almost impossible to hire additional staff and so, the point is, those additional dollars might not translate to additional staff."
The additional revenue could strengthen the position of the staff in its bargaining with the school board when a mediator comes to work out a deal between the sides October 27.