The fiscal picture going forward for the Redmond School District is a lot rosier than the one behind.

The School Board by a unanimous vote Wednesday adopted a general fund budget for the coming fiscal year more than $5 million higher than last year.

The budget for the 2013-14 fiscal year includes $60 million for the general fund. With capital projects, grant-funded and fee-supported programs, the total budget is $95.8 million, which includes $2.3 million in unappropriated funds.

The 2012-13 budget fell short by $5 million, prompting the district to cut 15 days from its school calendar and keep employee compensation stagnant. The 2013-14 budget restores 12 of those days and allowed the district to add back small employee contract items.

While next year’s budget shows growth in full-time-equivalent classroom positions, most are grant-funded or new expenditures on paper only.

For example, eight educational assistant positions are not new hires, but had previously been a paid service via the High Desert Education Service District. And a full-day kindergarten program piloted in three Redmond elementaries with high poverty levels last year will now be offered to at-risk kids in all district primary schools, thanks to $458,000 in additional Title I federal funds. The program targets kindergartners who need extra classroom time to keep on track for first grade.

“The forward momentum we received from the pilot program is worth keeping,” said Superintendent Mike McIntosh. According to Linda Seeberg, executive director of academic programs, the new funds will allow Lynch Elementary to double the number of slots for all-day kindergarten. Lynch is the district school with the highest number of students on the free and reduced meal program, which serves as the measure of students living at or near poverty.