The North Crawford School board got a first look at the preliminary budget for the upcoming school year at their meeting last Thursday and appeared to like what they saw.
The board gave its approval to a 2012-13 preliminary budget that proposes a less than one percent increase in the tax levy and anticipates a slightly more than half percent decrease in state aid. As proposed, the total budget of close to $6 million would include $2,851,062 in state aid or $18,234 (.64 percent) less than the previous year. The preliminary budget also includes a proposed tax levy of $1,718,493 or $14,771 (.81 percent) more than the previous year’s tax levy.
If ultimately adopted as currently proposed, the budget would result in a mil rate of 9.31 up slightly from last year’s mil rate of 9.23. That translates to $931 in school district taxes on a $100,000 property or $1,862 in school district taxes on a $200,000 property before lottery tax credits are applied.
North Crawford School District Administrator Dr. Dan Davies was quick to emphasize that the budget as proposed was in a very preliminary phase and based on assumptions about the school’s enrollment and the district’s equalized valuation that could change.
“We won’t really know the enrollment until the Third Friday Count,” Davies reminded the board. A slightly declining enrollment used in the preliminary budget was based on last year’s enrollment and what the district can guess about this year’s enrollment.
Davies also proudly pointed out that the budget contains no debt service for the second straight year, since the district has no outstanding loans for the building.
The district’s proposed budget is based on total revenue of $5,907,349 and total expenses of $5,919,149, which would create an $11,800 deficit. If that came to pass, the district’s’ fund balance or money it has in reserve, would be decreased from $2,660,089 to $2,648,289.
It should be noted that the adopted 2011-12 budget called for $36,245 deficit, but with just days remaining in the school year, it appears the actual 2011-12 budget will actually produce a $9,935 increase in the fund balance.
Davies also told the board that the recently announced PEPP grant, aimed at fostering health and wellness in the school, will pass through this budget as both $323,553 of revenue and corresponding expenses.
The North Crawford School District Budget hearing and Annual District Meeting was set for Monday Sept. 24 at the previous month’s board meeting. Prior to that meeting, the board will be presented with a finalized budget to approve for consideration by the voters at the annual meeting.