Warsaw Schools Studies 2002 Budget
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
During a public hearing for the 2001-02 Warsaw Community School Corp. budget, business manager Rande Thorpe told the school board how the money is used.
The general fund comprises the majority of the budget at 73.4 percent; debt service is 11.2 percent; capital projects is 10.2 percent; and transportation is 4.9 percent.
To reduce costs to the school corporation, Thorpe said the school corporation has practiced energy conservation; expanded their recycling; made modifications to its insurance program and benefits; consolidated ABE/AIM; began cooperative purchasing; and eliminated administrative and support positions.
Part of the school corporation's struggle to maintain a non-deficit budget, he said, is because the school district is 167.3 square miles and has 18 buildings, including 10 elementary schools, two middle schools and the high school.
There have also been some cost shifts. Thorpe said in 1995, 100 percent of teachers' retirements were paid by the state. In 2002, the school corporation will pay an estimated $540,000 for teacher retirements.
Another cost shift is transfer tuitions. When a student moves from one school district to Warsaw, Warsaw attempts to get the money from the student's previous school district, but that isn't always easy.
There are also payment delays, Thorpe said, from the state. One-twelfth of the school corp.'s revenue is received from the state each month. However, there's a break in payments from May 31 to July 1.
"Basically, what this has done is created what I consider a drain on our resources," said Thorpe.
If the projected trend for the Warsaw schools continues, he said, the school corporation will "run out of money" by 2005 or 2006.
Thorpe said unlike businesses that reduce expenses to make more profit, the school corporation just tries to make money to pay their bills.
The school corporation's tax rate has declined for several years, he said. It is in the lowest 22 percent tax rate in the state.
The 2001-02 budget is $46,268,307, an increase of approximately 3.92 percent. Last year's increase was 5.69 percent. According to Thorpe, the local economy and regular growth in the assessed valuation of local property value has enabled the school corporation to maintain a stable tax rate. The projected growth of 2.5 percent in 2002 most likely will include a tax rate increase.
In 2002, the last payment for the Harrison and Eisenhower elementary schools will be made and the debt service fund will decrease.
Major projects for 2002 exceeding $10,000 include carpet replacement at seven schools for a cost of $10,000 to $15,000 per school; HVAC/air conditioning at Lakeview, $990,000; domestic water piping replacement at Lakeview, $60,000; fencing at Harrison and Eisenhower, $15,000 per location; door repair/key less entry at Leesburg, $10,000; consolidation of the technology program and elimination of portable classrooms, $500,000; replacement of WCHS swimming pool lockers, $11,000; roof seam coatings at WCHS, $24,000; and repave Tiger Circle and parking lot at high school, $45,000.
"I've been doing this for 10 years," said Thorpe of the budget, "and it's probably the leanest budget we've had."
Board member Brad Brail said this will be the third year for him to vote on a budget, and each year it's been a deficit budget. He said steps are needed to be taken so he won't have to vote on a deficit budget again next year. He said he doesn't want Warsaw schools to end up like South Bend schools where programs had to be cut so they can pay their bills.
The board will be asked to adopt the 2001-02 budget at 7 p.m. Sept. 4.
In other business:
• Superintendent Dr. Lee Harman said school is ready to start. Enrollment figures are not yet available and the corporation is "real close" to being fully staffed.
• Greg Schroeder, director of maintenance, gave an annual report on the corporation's buildings and grounds for 2000-01.
During the year, there were 3,279 work order requests with 97 percent completed in-house.
By location, the biggest buildings accounted for the most work orders. By classification, 52 percent of the work was repair work; 31 percent was performing services for buildings; 10 percent was preventive maintenance; and 7 percent concerned alterations.
The trend, he said, is that his department is receiving more requests and will eventually need to hire outside contractors to help with the work load.
• The school board approved four personnel recommendations including Lindsay Helfrich as a sixth grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary; Melissa Rees as co-cheerleading sponsor, Amy Campbell as building-based team member, and Teresa Schmidt as building-based chairperson, all at Leesburg Elementary.
Warsaw School Board members are president Craig Allebach, Charles Sauders, Brad Brail, Cathy Folk, Larry Chamberlain, Roy Szymanski and James Folk. [[In-content Ad]]
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During a public hearing for the 2001-02 Warsaw Community School Corp. budget, business manager Rande Thorpe told the school board how the money is used.
The general fund comprises the majority of the budget at 73.4 percent; debt service is 11.2 percent; capital projects is 10.2 percent; and transportation is 4.9 percent.
To reduce costs to the school corporation, Thorpe said the school corporation has practiced energy conservation; expanded their recycling; made modifications to its insurance program and benefits; consolidated ABE/AIM; began cooperative purchasing; and eliminated administrative and support positions.
Part of the school corporation's struggle to maintain a non-deficit budget, he said, is because the school district is 167.3 square miles and has 18 buildings, including 10 elementary schools, two middle schools and the high school.
There have also been some cost shifts. Thorpe said in 1995, 100 percent of teachers' retirements were paid by the state. In 2002, the school corporation will pay an estimated $540,000 for teacher retirements.
Another cost shift is transfer tuitions. When a student moves from one school district to Warsaw, Warsaw attempts to get the money from the student's previous school district, but that isn't always easy.
There are also payment delays, Thorpe said, from the state. One-twelfth of the school corp.'s revenue is received from the state each month. However, there's a break in payments from May 31 to July 1.
"Basically, what this has done is created what I consider a drain on our resources," said Thorpe.
If the projected trend for the Warsaw schools continues, he said, the school corporation will "run out of money" by 2005 or 2006.
Thorpe said unlike businesses that reduce expenses to make more profit, the school corporation just tries to make money to pay their bills.
The school corporation's tax rate has declined for several years, he said. It is in the lowest 22 percent tax rate in the state.
The 2001-02 budget is $46,268,307, an increase of approximately 3.92 percent. Last year's increase was 5.69 percent. According to Thorpe, the local economy and regular growth in the assessed valuation of local property value has enabled the school corporation to maintain a stable tax rate. The projected growth of 2.5 percent in 2002 most likely will include a tax rate increase.
In 2002, the last payment for the Harrison and Eisenhower elementary schools will be made and the debt service fund will decrease.
Major projects for 2002 exceeding $10,000 include carpet replacement at seven schools for a cost of $10,000 to $15,000 per school; HVAC/air conditioning at Lakeview, $990,000; domestic water piping replacement at Lakeview, $60,000; fencing at Harrison and Eisenhower, $15,000 per location; door repair/key less entry at Leesburg, $10,000; consolidation of the technology program and elimination of portable classrooms, $500,000; replacement of WCHS swimming pool lockers, $11,000; roof seam coatings at WCHS, $24,000; and repave Tiger Circle and parking lot at high school, $45,000.
"I've been doing this for 10 years," said Thorpe of the budget, "and it's probably the leanest budget we've had."
Board member Brad Brail said this will be the third year for him to vote on a budget, and each year it's been a deficit budget. He said steps are needed to be taken so he won't have to vote on a deficit budget again next year. He said he doesn't want Warsaw schools to end up like South Bend schools where programs had to be cut so they can pay their bills.
The board will be asked to adopt the 2001-02 budget at 7 p.m. Sept. 4.
In other business:
• Superintendent Dr. Lee Harman said school is ready to start. Enrollment figures are not yet available and the corporation is "real close" to being fully staffed.
• Greg Schroeder, director of maintenance, gave an annual report on the corporation's buildings and grounds for 2000-01.
During the year, there were 3,279 work order requests with 97 percent completed in-house.
By location, the biggest buildings accounted for the most work orders. By classification, 52 percent of the work was repair work; 31 percent was performing services for buildings; 10 percent was preventive maintenance; and 7 percent concerned alterations.
The trend, he said, is that his department is receiving more requests and will eventually need to hire outside contractors to help with the work load.
• The school board approved four personnel recommendations including Lindsay Helfrich as a sixth grade teacher at Lincoln Elementary; Melissa Rees as co-cheerleading sponsor, Amy Campbell as building-based team member, and Teresa Schmidt as building-based chairperson, all at Leesburg Elementary.
Warsaw School Board members are president Craig Allebach, Charles Sauders, Brad Brail, Cathy Folk, Larry Chamberlain, Roy Szymanski and James Folk. [[In-content Ad]]