Durango School District 9-R has picked up some extra change to help balance the budget for the school year beginning July 1.

Speaking Tuesday at a La Plata County Economic Development Alliance meeting, 9-R Finance Director Jason Austin said the district has received money from the state and from the Southern Ute Indian Tribe.

On the last day of the legislative session May 7, the district through the Colorado School Finance Act received about $1.8 million, Austin said. The entire pot of money is distributed among school districts throughout the state by formula based on the number of students.

The money makes a small dent in the estimated $4 million the district lost in state cuts over several years, Austin said.

The Utes have given the district about $221,000 as in-lieu payment for property tax not paid on tribal holdings outside the reservation, Austin said.

“We’re appreciative because they don’t have to do it,” Austin said. “It’s not mandatory. They decide how much to pay.”

daler@durangoherald.com