Friday, June 19, 2015

School Faces Possible $215,484 Deficit for Next School Year

The Worth County School Board approved a budget that includes a possible deficit of $215,484, which Superintendent Dr. Matt Martz said was the worst-case scenario that could happen to the district. This assumes that only 96% of state revenues come in, that overall state revenues will be down by around $140,000, and that federal revenues will be down by around $37,000. Expenses are expected to be down by around $91,882 according to budget figures. The school will not know the figures for the current school year until the final payment from the state comes in. Dr. Martz said that part of the reason was that state gambling revenues were lower than expected.

Dr. Martz said that the budget forecast means that the school will stay above the 25% threshold in reserves; however, if the financial situation does not improve, there could be cuts coming down the road. The budget includes an increase of $1,000 to the base teacher pay as well as a 4% across the board raise for administration, teachers, and non-custodial staff. The board also voted to allow affected teachers to recover two steps from previous salary freezes.

Pole vault equipment was thrown around by the recent storm, which bent and tore part of a fence as well. The school has been approved for a Solid Waste Grant that will include $9,975 for a composter. The school match will be around $2,000, including in-kind work. Dr. Martz said that would decrease the need for dumpsters, resulting in overall savings to the district. The school plans to upgrade its Internet service and received a discount for phone services.

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