The Finance Department encompasses most aspects of school and district money management. These include budgeting, enrollment projections, accounting, payroll and benefits, accounts payable and receivable, purchasing, inventory control, and asset management. 

We are here to support our schools, families, staff, and community. Please contact us if you need more information about the district’s finances or business processes.  

The Moses Lake School District continues to innovate to meet the growing needs of our students while balancing the increasing costs associated with these needs. We are not alone in this dilemma, as many school districts around the state find themselves in a similar, difficult financial position - with costs and needs exceeding funding from the state. 

Major factors impacting school budgets, including ours, are: the cost of providing special education services exceeds the funding we get from the state and federal governments; student needs have grown and changed, yet the money to support these needs is going away, even though support is still needed; and costs for the things school districts need to operate has skyrocketed, yet the funding the state provides for these necessities has not kept up.  

This website from the Washington Association of School Administrators (WASA) helps to put the scope of our state’s K-12 education challenges in context. This resource helps to clearly explain the issues creating financial pressure on K-12 school districts and the need for state funding allocations to reflect these increasing costs. 

Our revenue comes from three main sources:

STATE Our primary source of revenue is from the state. The state allocates school funds based on the number of students we have and other considerations.  

FEDERAL We also receive general fund revenue from the federal government. Most of those dollars can only be used for specific programs, such as special education or extra help for students from low-income families.

LOCAL We currently receive revenue from local property taxes in the form of a school levy. This levy plays a crucial role in providing our students with a comprehensive and high-quality education. It helps cover expenses that the state doesn't fully fund, including activities, athletics, arts, music, libraries, safety, and security.

Additional information about WA School Funding: 

• WA State K–12 Fiscal Information
• (OSPI) K–12 Funding
• WA State Legislature - Citizens Guide to K–12 Finance