No Tax Raise, No Teachers Cut In School’s Proposed 2011/12 Budget

WATER VALLEY – The School District has gone over the much-feared “funding cliff” and not only survived, but is not raising taxes or cutting teachers for the upcoming school year.

At a public hearing on the purposed 2011-2012 school budget last Thursday night, District Business Manager Randy Goodwin explained that the “funding cliff” is the end of American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds that has provided millions of dollars for education over a three-year period.

Goodwin went over the purposed $9,639,130 budget page by page for the School Board, outgoing superintendent Dr. Deborah Moran and incoming superintendent Kim Chrestman as well as one reporter. No members of the public were present.

Goodwin said that even though the stimulus money is gone, “We didn’t raise taxes and we are still saving money.”

Dr. Moran added that no teachers were being furloughed and the staff is back on their regular salary schedule.

“We were able through attrition to get everybody back on track, still live within our budget, and pay our teachers on our salary schedule. The board was very committed to getting our teachers back on schedule and giving them what they deserve,” Moran said.

Goodwin explained that because of budget cuts last year that everyone in the district was furloughed for at least three days. “Some positions we cut 10 days; some positions we cut 20 days. But everybody went back up to where they were before that happened.”

There were staff reductions, but they were handled through attrition. Goodwin said that some teachers retired, left teaching, moved or got married. “There were several positions we did not replace. We’re still going to have a small class size. We’re still going to have under 20 kids in a classroom.”

As Goodwin read the budget figures, he pointed out that $1,408,031 was from federal sources, down from $2,583,397 last year. The state will make up a portion of that shortfall.

 “We’re almost a million dollars less than where we were a year ago,” said Trustee Taylor Trusty.

“$865,800 to be exact,” said Goodwin.

Even with the shortfall, he expects the fund balance to increase by $606,768, if there aren’t any cuts from the state. But, he said, “ I strongly feel we are going to get cut. I just don’t know when.”

The 2012 fiscal year budget will be approved during a brief special meeting before the regular board meeting on July 7.