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Numbers have always been a part of Steinar Kristoffersen’s life. From his days as an economics major at the University of Washington to his work as a medical manufacturer, numbers played a role in his day-to-day business.

Now, as the co-creator and program supervisor for the Mount Vernon-based Skagit Family Learning Center, Kristoffersen is making use of his skills to keep his home-based learning program budget in the black during rough economic times for area school districts.

“Change happens all the time” Kristoffersen said. “The budget is only one of the areas it’s having a significant impact on and we need to be able to finance growth and increase services to students to make sure we can last.”

With a number of Skagit County school districts facing budget cuts for the 2008-2009 school year, the Skagit Family Learning Center — an alternative education program associated with Mount Vernon School District — operates well within its modest budget. The program, which just concluded its fourth full year, is mostly self-sufficient, requiring only basic education dollars to operate.

While most school budgets have been hammered by increases in teacher salaries, transportation costs and unfunded state mandates, Skagit Learning Center has a different, more cost-effective approach to education.

The school receives state funding through the district like any other area school. Unlike traditional schools, Skagit has less than 10 paid staff members. Parents hold most of the teaching responsibilities, and use a combination of certified and contracted teachers to keep students on track.

Having parents volunteer their time is the biggest key in keeping the school operating without financial strain, Mount Vernon School District finance director Jennifer Larson said.

“It’s cost-effective because parents provide the curriculum,” Larson said.

Parents work with teachers to create an individual learning plan for each student. Working together, the parents and teachers can offer a personalized education tailored to each student’s needs.

“There’s a lot of parent involvement,” Kristoffersen said. “Our parents have decided that they’re going to be the primary educator of the child. If they don’t follow through, it simply doesn’t work.”

Unlike other alternative and traditional schools, which are cutting programs, Skagit Family Learning Center has steadily increased enrollment since becoming a part of the Mount Vernon School District in February 2004. The center was originally part of the Oak Harbor School District when it opened in fall 2003.

“We’ve built a lot of sweat equity,” Kristoffersen said. “Volunteers and ourselves put in thousands of hours to get this started. We didn’t have any front money put up (by the school district). We’d put in 1,500 hours before we’d even gotten a ‘Yes.’”

During that time period, the school’s enrollment has increased from about 40 students to nearly 150 this past year. Meetings have evolved from Kristoffersen, his wife Melissa and a few volunteers working out of a rented church building to volunteers and teaching staff meeting with parents in the bottom floor of the district’s transportation building.

Skagit receives about $4,600 per student, Larson said; 85 percent of which goes directly toward the program’s costs. The other 15 percent pays for district services and building costs.

The program’s growth comes during a time in which districts are clamping down on non-essential or alternative learning programs due to other increasing costs.

The Mount Vernon School Board is looking to cut approximately $1 million from next year’s budget — some of which could come from eliminating the district’s involvement with Mountain School, an outdoor-based education program.

School officials in Sedro-Woolley are estimating $5 plus per gallon fuel costs next year, and have discussed how to account for those increasing prices.

The Burlington-Edison School District could see food prices increase from 10 to 20 percent if projections hold.

Meanwhile Skagit’s increasing enrollment and stable budget will allow Kristoffersen and other administrators to hire two additional teachers next year in science and math, as well as another staff member to help out with assessment.

For more information on the Skagit Family Learning Center, call 360-428-6206.