July 23, 2014 at 2:10 p.m.
Board hopes for balanced budget (8/12/03)
Jay school board
After an intense year of making cuts to programs, faculty and expenditures, the Jay School Board voted Monday to advertise a balanced budget.
However, Jay Schools business manager Brad DeRome warned members of the board that having a balanced budget for 2004 is dependent upon collection of property taxes and receiving expected revenue from the state of Indiana.
“If the state continues in a deficit, they will take money away from education,” DeRome said. “I think definitely the (Jay Schools’) budget is balanced, but we certainly have concerns of getting the money the state promised us.”
The advertised budget will be $29.7 million and a tax rate of $1.56 per $100 of assessed valuation.
In each of the last two years, state funding has continued to be cut back and payments have been delayed. There is reason for concern because the state is experiencing financial woes — a structural budget deficit of $800 million for the current fiscal year — and education has been one of the first spots for cutbacks.
Revenues in the projected budget exceed expenses by $1,564. During 2000 and 2001 the corporation was experiencing a cash flow deficit of more than $1 million dollars in the general fund. The cash flow deficit was just under $200,000 in 2002 and 2003 (projected) and is estimated to be a positive balance for the first time since 1995.
“We’ve come a long way,” DeRome said. “And it’s been a lot of hard work, and now that hard work is going to be keeping that budget balanced. That will be our challenge in 2004.”
The budget that will be is advertised is $1,302,289 greater than the approved 2003 budget, but just over $1.3 million of that increase has been allocated to the bus replacement fund. The corporation plans to buy 19 buses in 2004, the first major purchase of buses since 2000. Payments for the buses in 2004 will be staggered throughout the year because of how property taxes are received.
The only projected deficit is in the transportation fund, which DeRome characterized as his “primary concern.” The deficit is estimated at $41,000, resulting from projected revenue for the fund and the continuation of state transportation cuts. The state has cut transportation funding by $109,000 in 2004 and it has allowed school corporations to offset the cuts by paying transportation expenses from the general fund. But because the general fund is so tight, that option doesn’t provide much help for the Jay School Corporation.
“We’re being forced to figure out better ways of doing things (in the transportation fund),” DeRome said. “It’s really too early to tell. The way it looks on paper, we’ll still have money in the fund, but I can’t continue to spend more money than we’re taking in.”
There will be a public hearing on the 2004 budget on Monday, Aug. 25, at the Jay School Corporation Administrative Offices, at 6 p.m. The corporation will also publish legal notices advertising the budget in The Commercial Review and The News & Sun on Wednesday, Aug. 13 and again on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Following the public hearing there will be a regular board meeting on Sept. 8, where the budget will be adopted pending approval.
In other action Monday, the board:
•Unanimously approved the recall of the following teachers who had previously received Reduction in Force (RIF) notices: Katie Marsh, regular full contract; Melissa Stotler, regular full contract; Jane Evans, regular full contract; Cassie Fugiett, half-time regular contract for kindergarten; and Amy Myers, temporary contract for first semester only.
•Approved the hire of the following athletic coaches: Jason Barton, seventh grade head football coach, WJMS; Violet Current, seventh grade volleyball coach, WJMS; Randy Davis, eighth grade head football coach, WJMS; Tami DeBoy, eighth grade volleyball coach, WJMS; Ron Fuller, cross country coach; WJMS; Janelle Johnston, seventh grade volleyball coach, EJMS; Bob May, eighth grade head football coach, EJMS; Randy Mann, eighth grade assistant football coach, EJMS; Justin Wendel, seventh grade assistant football coach; EJMS; Joseph Glassford, assistant cross country coach, JCHS; Randall Rigby, assistant volleyball coach, JCHS; Sharon Beeler, assistant volleyball coach, JCHS; Greg Hemmelgarn, assistant girls golf coach, JCHS; Zach Craig, assistant football coach, JCHS; Greg Garringer, freshman football coach, JCHS; Ed Wellman, assistant boys soccer coach, JCHS; Jack Wood, head girls softball coach, JCHS; Bruce Hosier, volunteer girls soccer coach, JCHS; Brad Moore, volunteer football coach, EJMS.
•Gave Jay Schools Supt. Barbara Downing permission to hire employees before the next scheduled board meeting. After Downing makes the hires, new employees will be brought before the board as a retroactive board action.
•Granted a request to use the school corporation bus for the Jay County Public Library, for kindergarten and first grade orientation, on Thursday.[[In-content Ad]]
However, Jay Schools business manager Brad DeRome warned members of the board that having a balanced budget for 2004 is dependent upon collection of property taxes and receiving expected revenue from the state of Indiana.
“If the state continues in a deficit, they will take money away from education,” DeRome said. “I think definitely the (Jay Schools’) budget is balanced, but we certainly have concerns of getting the money the state promised us.”
The advertised budget will be $29.7 million and a tax rate of $1.56 per $100 of assessed valuation.
In each of the last two years, state funding has continued to be cut back and payments have been delayed. There is reason for concern because the state is experiencing financial woes — a structural budget deficit of $800 million for the current fiscal year — and education has been one of the first spots for cutbacks.
Revenues in the projected budget exceed expenses by $1,564. During 2000 and 2001 the corporation was experiencing a cash flow deficit of more than $1 million dollars in the general fund. The cash flow deficit was just under $200,000 in 2002 and 2003 (projected) and is estimated to be a positive balance for the first time since 1995.
“We’ve come a long way,” DeRome said. “And it’s been a lot of hard work, and now that hard work is going to be keeping that budget balanced. That will be our challenge in 2004.”
The budget that will be is advertised is $1,302,289 greater than the approved 2003 budget, but just over $1.3 million of that increase has been allocated to the bus replacement fund. The corporation plans to buy 19 buses in 2004, the first major purchase of buses since 2000. Payments for the buses in 2004 will be staggered throughout the year because of how property taxes are received.
The only projected deficit is in the transportation fund, which DeRome characterized as his “primary concern.” The deficit is estimated at $41,000, resulting from projected revenue for the fund and the continuation of state transportation cuts. The state has cut transportation funding by $109,000 in 2004 and it has allowed school corporations to offset the cuts by paying transportation expenses from the general fund. But because the general fund is so tight, that option doesn’t provide much help for the Jay School Corporation.
“We’re being forced to figure out better ways of doing things (in the transportation fund),” DeRome said. “It’s really too early to tell. The way it looks on paper, we’ll still have money in the fund, but I can’t continue to spend more money than we’re taking in.”
There will be a public hearing on the 2004 budget on Monday, Aug. 25, at the Jay School Corporation Administrative Offices, at 6 p.m. The corporation will also publish legal notices advertising the budget in The Commercial Review and The News & Sun on Wednesday, Aug. 13 and again on Wednesday, Aug. 20. Following the public hearing there will be a regular board meeting on Sept. 8, where the budget will be adopted pending approval.
In other action Monday, the board:
•Unanimously approved the recall of the following teachers who had previously received Reduction in Force (RIF) notices: Katie Marsh, regular full contract; Melissa Stotler, regular full contract; Jane Evans, regular full contract; Cassie Fugiett, half-time regular contract for kindergarten; and Amy Myers, temporary contract for first semester only.
•Approved the hire of the following athletic coaches: Jason Barton, seventh grade head football coach, WJMS; Violet Current, seventh grade volleyball coach, WJMS; Randy Davis, eighth grade head football coach, WJMS; Tami DeBoy, eighth grade volleyball coach, WJMS; Ron Fuller, cross country coach; WJMS; Janelle Johnston, seventh grade volleyball coach, EJMS; Bob May, eighth grade head football coach, EJMS; Randy Mann, eighth grade assistant football coach, EJMS; Justin Wendel, seventh grade assistant football coach; EJMS; Joseph Glassford, assistant cross country coach, JCHS; Randall Rigby, assistant volleyball coach, JCHS; Sharon Beeler, assistant volleyball coach, JCHS; Greg Hemmelgarn, assistant girls golf coach, JCHS; Zach Craig, assistant football coach, JCHS; Greg Garringer, freshman football coach, JCHS; Ed Wellman, assistant boys soccer coach, JCHS; Jack Wood, head girls softball coach, JCHS; Bruce Hosier, volunteer girls soccer coach, JCHS; Brad Moore, volunteer football coach, EJMS.
•Gave Jay Schools Supt. Barbara Downing permission to hire employees before the next scheduled board meeting. After Downing makes the hires, new employees will be brought before the board as a retroactive board action.
•Granted a request to use the school corporation bus for the Jay County Public Library, for kindergarten and first grade orientation, on Thursday.[[In-content Ad]]
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