Schools Brace For State Budget Cuts
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By David [email protected]
Last year, state revenues for the first five months of the fiscal year were almost $500 million below a May forecast. Governor Mitch Daniels ordered state agencies to cut their budgets by 10 percent. Then late in the year, a $300 million cut was ordered for K-12 education over two years.[[In-content Ad]]The state previously took over all schools' general funds. Warsaw Schools Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott said all schools will begin seeing a cut to their general funds with the January allotment. He said it will be a significant cut to Warsaw's funding. Originally, the cut was expected to be around 3 percent, but Scott said that now will be more like 5 percent.
Scott said the school corporation is already looking at how they can address the issue. As more information comes out, Scott said they will be able to share more information with the board.
Board member Dr. Kent Adams said the funding cut is being experienced by every other school in the state.
Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz said the reductions coming are permanent and establishes a new baseline budget for all schools in the state. He promised the community will be kept informed of what's happening.
Dan Robinson, school board vice president, asked if the cut was in the general fund only. Scott said it was. Robinson said the school corporation's general fund is the largest piece of the puzzle by far.
Out of the $65 million overall budget for Warsaw Schools for 2010, Scott said the general fund is about $46 million of it. The lion's share of the general fund is wages, salaries and benefits.
"Everyone is going to be paying attention, that's for sure," Adams said of the funding cut.
The point of the 6:30 p.m. meeting Monday was to reorganize board officers. Officers were kept the same for 2010 as 2009. Deb Wiggins is president, Robinson is vice president and Delores Hearn is secretary.
School board meetings will continue to be the fourth Monday of every month at 7 p.m. except for the September and December meetings. The September meeting will be Sept. 20, and the December meeting will be Dec. 16.
The Resolution of the Board of School Trustees was approved. It names Erica Purvis as WCS treasurer; Kay Kelly as executive secretary; the copy fee for records is 10 cents per page; and the officers and members of the Board of Finance will be the same as the officers and members of the school board. Adams will be the legislative liaison, Hearn the policy liaison and Robinson will be the facility liaison.
Compensation for the school board shall not exceed $2,000 per year and a per diem of $3,000 per year for a total of $5,000 per year. The cash management provider for 2010 is Lake City Bank, and the WCS school board attorney is Max E. Reed. The Times-Union is designated for 2010 for the advertisement of legal notices to the public.
The school board tabled setting the superintendent's evaluation dates. Wiggins requested the human resources committee review the evaluation dates and procedure and make sure it does all it's suppose to do.
Jean Shively was appointed as the deputy treasurer of Warsaw Community Schools.
Wiggins also provided all the school board members with a list of committees. She asked them to review the list and let her know on what committees they want to serve. Decisions will be made at the Jan. 25 meeting.
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Last year, state revenues for the first five months of the fiscal year were almost $500 million below a May forecast. Governor Mitch Daniels ordered state agencies to cut their budgets by 10 percent. Then late in the year, a $300 million cut was ordered for K-12 education over two years.[[In-content Ad]]The state previously took over all schools' general funds. Warsaw Schools Chief Financial Officer Kevin Scott said all schools will begin seeing a cut to their general funds with the January allotment. He said it will be a significant cut to Warsaw's funding. Originally, the cut was expected to be around 3 percent, but Scott said that now will be more like 5 percent.
Scott said the school corporation is already looking at how they can address the issue. As more information comes out, Scott said they will be able to share more information with the board.
Board member Dr. Kent Adams said the funding cut is being experienced by every other school in the state.
Superintendent Dr. Craig Hintz said the reductions coming are permanent and establishes a new baseline budget for all schools in the state. He promised the community will be kept informed of what's happening.
Dan Robinson, school board vice president, asked if the cut was in the general fund only. Scott said it was. Robinson said the school corporation's general fund is the largest piece of the puzzle by far.
Out of the $65 million overall budget for Warsaw Schools for 2010, Scott said the general fund is about $46 million of it. The lion's share of the general fund is wages, salaries and benefits.
"Everyone is going to be paying attention, that's for sure," Adams said of the funding cut.
The point of the 6:30 p.m. meeting Monday was to reorganize board officers. Officers were kept the same for 2010 as 2009. Deb Wiggins is president, Robinson is vice president and Delores Hearn is secretary.
School board meetings will continue to be the fourth Monday of every month at 7 p.m. except for the September and December meetings. The September meeting will be Sept. 20, and the December meeting will be Dec. 16.
The Resolution of the Board of School Trustees was approved. It names Erica Purvis as WCS treasurer; Kay Kelly as executive secretary; the copy fee for records is 10 cents per page; and the officers and members of the Board of Finance will be the same as the officers and members of the school board. Adams will be the legislative liaison, Hearn the policy liaison and Robinson will be the facility liaison.
Compensation for the school board shall not exceed $2,000 per year and a per diem of $3,000 per year for a total of $5,000 per year. The cash management provider for 2010 is Lake City Bank, and the WCS school board attorney is Max E. Reed. The Times-Union is designated for 2010 for the advertisement of legal notices to the public.
The school board tabled setting the superintendent's evaluation dates. Wiggins requested the human resources committee review the evaluation dates and procedure and make sure it does all it's suppose to do.
Jean Shively was appointed as the deputy treasurer of Warsaw Community Schools.
Wiggins also provided all the school board members with a list of committees. She asked them to review the list and let her know on what committees they want to serve. Decisions will be made at the Jan. 25 meeting.
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