The Dolores Re-4A School District board adopted an annual budget on Jan. 25 in a special morning meeting

The state determines individual school funding through a system known as an “October count,” which funding per pupil in the district. Dolores’ budgeted pupil count is 696.1.

A main topic of conversation was setting aside $500,000 for upgrades or a rebuild of the bus garage.

The board will discuss and vote on the issue at its regularly scheduled Feb. 8 meeting, but if the money is not put in the budget before Jan. 31, it cannot be done this year.

“We can go ahead and appropriate the money in the budget, without approving the spending of the money, we are just appropriating in case,” Doreen Jones, business manager of the district, said.

The beginning fund balance for the district in 2018 is $4.57 million.

Total revenue for the district is expected to be about $8.5 million for 2018.

However, the total beginning fund balance and reserves is estimated at $13,126,406 million for 2018.

“Basically with this budget, we are using $110,000 out of reserve as this stands,” Jones said.

About $9.2 million is budgeted for expenditures, including district operating expenses.

The ending fund balance will be about $3.13 million.

The district’s full budget will be available online in the next month.

“2018, financially, is a great year for Colorado, so I am fairly positive about how it is going to go for education,” said Superintendent Scott Cooper.

Board president Dee Prock was the only board member absent from the special meeting.