The Woodland Park School District Board of Education began the year with a heads-up from the chief financial officer. In a special meeting on Jan. 22, the board approved a revised budget that acknowledged a $1.8 million deficit.

During the meeting, CFO David Kuritar outlined the risks for the district’s financials.

The audit and the March 1 extension deadline for filing a full annual audit are among the financial risks, he said.

“We need to get the filing done, which is the goal that everybody, including you, in the community, wants,” Kuritar said.

Carol Greenstreet, one of three recently elected board members, added a clarification.

“The audit not being completed up to this point is based on the way the records were checked and not checked, bank statements not reconciled that you inherited,” she said. “It’s not a reflection of this team now, which has been working overtime to accomplish what should have happened during the last fiscal year. Is that correct?”

Kuritar, who was hired eight months ago, agreed.

“Every dollar we spend above the approved budget is an additional dollar coming out of reserve,” he said.  “Our payroll is down 10% and we are at risk of losing Title 1 funding because our student/teacher ratio is too high.”

Title I federal funding relies on fair and equitable education opportunities for all students.

“The student ratio at Merit is 8 students for every one teacher; Columbine is 11:1,” said Ginger Slocum, interim superintendent. “It is not a level playing field.”

Kuritar added that the average ratio for charter schools is 17:1.

“This has never come up in the past because it’s never been on our radar before, but the Colorado Department of Education let us know that when they are looking at a Title I school, that sets the bar for the non-title school.”

The disparity is a risk to the district’s receiving federal grants.

“We have to make sure we have the same student/teacher ratio as Merit does,” said Keegan Barkley, who was elected president last month.

However, unlike the other district public schools, Merit is allowed to turn away students, Barkley said. “It seems unfair that the state holds us to that standard.”

According to Kuritar’s True Up report in January, Merit owes the district $362,000.

“It’s one of the things about not having a level playing field when we’re subsidizing Merit by absorbing transportation, administrative, even the certificates of participation, costs, which is enabling Merit to hire more teachers, which puts us in jeopardy of losing Title I funding,” Kuritar said. “Statistically, Merit is running an extraordinarily high student teacher ratio. Inequality is created by us underwriting them, I think, more than any other district in the state.”

On the bright side, Kuritar reported that revenue from property taxes is expected to increase this year. “So, that’s good,” he said.

Looking ahead, the top priority for the board is to identify solutions to level the playing field, Kuritar said.

Barkley is the only returning member of the previous board, due to the recent resignation of Mick Bates.  Greenstreet, Laura Gordon and Kassidi Gilgenast were elected in November. The board will choose a replacement for Bates this month.