The Moses Lake School District can’t fund any school activities next year due to an $11 million budget shortfall.
MOSES LAKE, Wash. — An accounting error put the Moses Lake School District $11 million in the hole. So far, 240 employees have been laid off, and now, the community is worried about the future of student programs and activities
The Moses Lake School District says it won’t be able to fund any student activities this school year due to its budget deficit.
That’s why a local non-profit is raising funds to prevent the elimination of these programs.
At Moses Lake High School, the sounds of student determination echo in the halls. You can hear it in the commons and see it in the gym.
To these students, their programs aren’t just hobbies: they are their passions.
But the sounds of determination are at risk of falling silent. The Moses Lake School District can’t fund any school activities next year due to an $11 million budget shortfall.
The Community Athletics and Activities (CAA) non-profit is determined to keep that from happening.
“It’s absolutely monumentally important,” Audra Eckenberg, a parent supporter of the CAA, said. “It’s an all-or-nothing [thing]. The funds that are received through donations to the CAA are what is completely funding any athletics, extra-curricular activities.”
Eckenberg says the goal is to raise $2.6 million , which is expected to provide for operations of all student activities.
So far, the community has raised $82,000.
Without these school programs, students like Teagan Burns say she will have to find flute lessons out of town.
“There aren’t many flute players in this town,” Burns said. “The closest one is in Tri-Cities or Spokane, I think. It would cost money and a lot of time.”
But these students are optimistic the community will come through for them and their passions.
“I believe we can get our community to get our funds up,” Taggart Rathbun, a sophomore at Moses Lake High School, said. I do believe we’ll play next year.”
KREM 2 confirmed with the Moses Lake School District Athletic Director that the district won’t be funding extracurricular activities this coming school year.
CAA put a donate button front and center on its home page. If you’d like to support their efforts, click here.
