The Clark County Board of Education approved a $36 million tentative budget for Fiscal Year 2012-13 Thursday, which includes a 13.9 percent contingency — $5.6 million —well above the state mandated 2 percent contingency.
The tentative budget is the second step in developing a working budget for the district. Districts are required to present a draft budget to the board by Jan. 31, with a tentative budget approved and submitted to the Kentucky Department of Education by May 31 and the working, or final, budget submitted to KDE in September.
The tentative budget had only minimal changes from the draft budget the board approved in January.
Consultant Bob Wagoner said the district was in good shape to handle anything that should come its way in the next two-year budget cycle.
“You are again positioned well to move into the next two-year funding cycle to have the dollars that you have at your disposal to do what you need to do in your school district,” Wagoner said. “The decisions this board have made over the past several years have put you in a position to weather the next two to four years and not have to do a major fire sale surgery to your academic program and curriculum.”
The tentative budget showed a beginning balance of $5.6 million, which was up about $230,000 from the draft budget. The increase, Wagoner said was due to revenue coming in a little higher than anticipated since January.
As is the case with most school budgets, almost 85 percent of the district’s total costs are salaries and benefits, with the tentative budget reflecting a slight reduction based on the staffing allocations approved by the board in April which resulted in a net loss of four teachers in the district.
The tentative budget is structurally balanced, which is a good place to be, Wagoner said, and the board should be happy with where it stands at this point in the budgeting process.
“You’ve worked hard each step of the way to be structurally balance. This is a good place to be,” Wagoner said. “But we still have several unknowns and there is a lot of time between May and September. But at this stage you should be pleased with where you are.”
In other business the board:
— approved school-based decision-making carry forward funds of $26,404.41 for Strode Station, Hannah McClure and Providence, which are restricted for SBDM use for the 2012-2013 school year.
— approved refinancing participation resolution for the last four years on a 2001 KISTA loan. The option will save the district approximately $11,500.
— approved a federally mandated 5 cent increase on school lunches for middle and high school students who pay full price for meals. The increase is only on lunch prices and does not affect free/reduced lunch students, nor breakfast prices.
— approved a choice of exterior brick for the new elementary school project.
— heard presentations from principals at George Rogers Clark High School, Strode Station, Central, Shearer elementary and Conkwright and Clark Middle schools on the spring MAP testing results.
Contact Bob Flynn at bflynn@winchestersun.com.
