The May Board meeting was a particularly difficult one as we had to take the final vote that eliminated 13 certified and an equal number of non-certified positions. State reductions have created a situation where, even with those reductions, we estimate our budget has a $1,775 cushion. We can run school, but we are not able to supply the same attention to children that we all want.
The state has suggested they may be having a similar reduction next year. There is no place in our budget that we can do that and have a reasonable educational program for students. The Board is going to look at a possible referendum to create local revenue from property taxes. We know this is not popular with anyone, but we also know our children are worth it. Keep checking this blog for updates on what this means. Right now, it is an idea - nothing more. But, we are in high gear trying to figure out what it will mean for everyone.
The news just keeps being negative when we look at the state funding. Three of four months, the state has received revenue below budget estimates. They, too, are taking actions to stretch their fund, but unfortunately, those actions hurt our efforts. One example is the federal grant money that flows through the Department of Education. It used to flow to us prior to our expending it. Now all grant funds are reimbursable, which means we must pay the bill from our General Fund (that was cut) and then turn in a claim for the state to reimburse. This will, in the long run, not impact budget but increases both our management overhead and our cash flow. We may have to borrow while waiting for them to pay what they owe.
Speaking of the federal level, we learned last week that our Title 1 allocation was decreased by over $40,000. I know - it seems strange to us that as our families are having a tougher time (meaning more are in need of assistance), this program (that is supposed to be based on assistance need) is reduced. I think that tells us that from the local and state perspective, the recession impact is definitely not over.
In other action, the Board passed the pay to participate in athletics proposal. That means a high school student they would pay $80 to participate in sports, a middle school student $50, and an elementary student $30. This was the initial proposal and we will be adjusting this on the fly as revenue to athletics increases and individual sports are reviewed in more detail.
I share all this to let you know we are not out of the financial woods yet and are continuing to look at every avenue to make Whitko Schools the best place for all our children. I continue to ask anyone with ideas to share them.
