School District Will Work To Reduce Expenditures

School Finance Officer Suzanne Carter displays one of the District’s financial documents.

At the Board table (from left) Business Manager Randy Goodwin, Board members Lamar Burgess, Taylor Trusty, Casey Washington, Dr. Steve Edwards, Carter, and Board President Ray Hawkins.

By Jack Gurner
Reporter

WATER VALLEY – School Board members got a basic class in the complex issue of school finances during their regular meeting Monday night.

They also were given a hint that some of the upcoming budget cuts could include salaries.

School Finance Officer Suzanne Carter told the Board that it depends on what Governor Haley Barbour does next. “The position I have to take on that is I have to wait and see what Governor Barbour does with his next cut. If his cut is greater than five percent, then it will be very difficult on this district.”

Carter, who was appointed last month as a financial advisor to the Water Valley School District by State Superintendent of Education John Jordan, has the authority to approve or disapprove all expenditures of the district.

She gave her financial update in connection with the approval of the claims docket. “Our goal is to reduce our claims docket,” she said.

Carter presented a list of recommendations that she and the District’s Business Manager Randy Goodwin compiled to help reduce costs in the district.

• Purchase orders: “Employ-ees can’t initiate a purchase order and carry it through. If that has ever been done in this district it certainly can not be done now. Every repair or purchase has to go through the chain of command. We’re not going to be buying anything extra and we’re not going to be fixing anything that can wait.”

• Travel expenses: “Travel has been eliminated unless it is absolutely necessary.”

• Textbooks: “We’re not buying any more textbooks.”

• Telephone calls: “Randy and I are going to be looking at telephone bills. We’re not paying for anything that is not school district related.”

• Utilities: “We’ve asked the Principals about cost saving ideas in their buildings. Everything needs to be turned off at the end of the day and they need to assign someone to check this if they can not do this themselves. They’ve got to regulate their thermostats,” she emphasized. “All of these are things we do at home. They need to do them here at the schools, too.”

• Fuel: “We’re going to be looking to see if we can consolidate any bus routes to save on diesel.”

• Food service: “I think we can probably get someone up here from Gary May’s office (Bureau of Child Nutrition) in Jackson to maybe see what we can do to help out there.”

• Classroom supplies: “Most all teachers are awarded EEF money (Educational Enhancement Funds) They can spend that money, but they can’t ask for additional supplies out of district maintenance funds. If they waste anything and they run out, they are going to have to make do.”

Carter suggested that the Board members read the recommendations and make suggestions of things they wanted to add. “I don’t think there is anything in here that you would object to. Certainly we would like to hear your input.”

“Randy and I are going to get this district back into the black and the only way to do it is to start cutting everything.”

Carter followed her cost-cutting recommendations with a detailed explanation of the difference between cash and fund balance.

“When I say we’ve got to get our fund balance back to where it needs to be, I want all of us to know what we’re talking about when we say fund balance and we say cash in the bank. Because it is not the same thing.”

Carter explained that a fund balance is “the current year activity and the cash balance that is available to spend, but it is not the same as available cash balance.”

“When your expenditures are greater – as was in this district – you have a negative fund balance. But, we can get it back into the black. It is possible.”

Carter told the board that she and Goodwin would provide the board with all the district’s financial information so they could see the results of the cost cutting measures. “Every dollar will count.”

Board Member Casey Washington asked how the cuts would affect the teaching staff. “Salaries are the one thing we didn’t get a report on tonight,” he said.

Carter explained that everyone in the state is waiting on the Governor’s decision on the percentage of the cuts. “If it is not more than five percent I’m hoping this district can pull through with a fund balance in the black. If Governor Barbour exceeds five percent on his cuts then I’m not sure. We will know probably January or February. We’re all waiting to hear what his decision is on that.”

“Governor Barbour wants to balance the budget and he is going to…regardless. It’s very difficult on a community like this that doesn’t have the tax base to support it. But, that doesn’t mean we can’t build up a fund balance. There’s just going to have to be a lot of cuts.”

“The problem is that you got caught without a fund balance to get through it,” Carter said.

“We’re asking teachers to work with us,” she said. “Don’t waste. Save every dime. We don’t want to cut out every school activity. But, we will have to ask the community to help us out and keep some of the activities going for us so that we can put any extra money in our reserve.”

“You can get it built back up,” Carter said as she concluded her report. “We have to cut to get there. We can’t keep spending.”

In other actions at the Nov. 16 meeting, the School Board:

• Approved the claims docket after hearing Carter’s financial update.

• Approved assurances on the Title VI program.

• Heard a Title I update.

• Approved the Child Nutrition Program procurement plan.

• Adopted a Workman Compensation resolution.

• Disposed of two Dell computers.

• Heard Superintendent Sammy Higdon report that the high school football team was beaten in overtime during the second round of playoffs. “Any time you get to the second round of playoffs, you’ve had a good year,” Higdon said.

• Scheduled the December board meeting for Friday, Dec. 18, at noon.

• Entered executive session at 7:49 p.m. to discuss personnel issues.

• Returned to regular session at 9:13 p.m. and adjourned without reporting if any actions were taken. The Board met for a total of two hours and 42 minutes.

Travel Expenses Affect Activities At Ball Game

The Water Valley High School Band was on the field last Friday night for the playoff game at Belmont, but the Blue Devil Cheerleaders weren’t because of the tough financial times.

“The usual two buses was about $948. But, what the band parents did is they bought one bus,” Principal Dr. Glenn Kitchen said. “Then two or three of them pulled personal trailers with all the stuff.”

One of the parents even packed a horse trailer with band equipment, according to Kitchen. “Nonetheless, they got all stuff there and they did a good job marching Friday night.”

Unfortunately, the cheerleaders didn’t have enough money in their account to make the trip  and still be able to attend the state cheerleader competition in Jackson on Dec. 19.

The football team traveled to the game on a charter bus which was paid for by $800 from the Fellowship of Christian Athletes account.

“The school sent its usual bus with all the stuff instead of sending two school buses,” Kitchen added.

The cost for using a school bus is $2 a mile plus the driver.