Paradise Superintendent Monty Chapman presented the school board with preliminary budget totals for the 2012-2013 fiscal year during a workshop at their regular meeting Monday.
Based on current enrollment, Chapman projects the district will generate about $9,449,849 in revenue – $3.8 million of that from local funds such as taxes, fees, penalties and interest, and $5.366 million coming from the state.
“That does not include federal programs,” he said. “This is a regular (form) 199 budget.”
Drafted expenses total $9,531,000.
They include:
- Instruction – $5.2 million
- Resources (technology, library) – $421,427
- Curriculum and staff (training) – $225,393
- School leadership (campus principals budget) – $523, 692
- Guidance and counseling – $301,919
- Nurses (supplies, payroll) – $101,588
- Transportation (payroll, buses) – $211,352
- Extra-curricular activities (athletics, ag, band, fine arts, UIL academics) – $400,070
- General administration (central office personnel) – $245,882
- Physical plant maintenance and operation (custodian payroll, supplies, utilities) $1,154,867
- Data processing (includes secretary salaries) – $207,272
- Debt service (technology as adopted in May) – $110,000
- Facility acquisition (capital outlay, big repairs) – $40,000
- Shared services (special needs education) – $235,125
“The expenses total to about $82,000 more than what the revenue is,” Chapman said. “We’re looking at taking a little bit out of the fund balance if we land here. Also keep in mind, we’ll have a deficit of $25,000 to $30,000 for the cafeteria on top of that.”
However, Chapman emphasized the preliminary nature of the process.
“We are still going through the budget making sure we have everything as trim as we can get it, but also where we can function at 100 percent,” he said.
“Some categories may go up a little bit. Some may go down. We are trying to stay between $80,000 and $100,000 is where we’re guessing it’s going to fall for the deficit – which is what we’ve been talking about for the last two to three months,” Chapman said.
“We still have a lot of work that we need to do. But we are well on our way – probably 90 percent – to having it ready for Aug. 6.”
According to the budget calendar, that day the board will discuss the proposed budget and tax rate. But that meeting may be pushed back a day to Aug. 7 if trustees are able to commit a day to attending a planning vision meeting (see below).
“That planning vision will be from 9 a.m. to 3:30, and we can do the meeting at 3:45,” Chapman said. “It will last as long as however many questions you have.”
On Aug. 20, the board will hold a public hearing on the proposed budget and tax rate before its monthly meeting. Pending public comment, trustees will adopt the budget and the tax rate that will carry the budget.
VISION PLANNING
School officials will collaborate with representatives of Abilene Christian University to develop a vision for instruction Tuesday, Aug. 7.
“It’s a planning process to help us look at where we are going with instruction and student engagement, with technology being one of the tools not only for next year but for the next three to five years,” Assistant Superintendent Patti Seckman explained.
“We’d like to have you, as the board, as part of the vision team along with district site-based committees, community members, parents and administrators,” she said.
In other news, the board:
- called a Nov. 6 school board election for places 1 and 2, currently held by President Homer Mundy and Vice President Doug Bryant.
- opted to extend a contract with D&C for district lawn maintenance for $38,600, despite lower bids from others. “I don’t see the need to switch when we haven’t had a problem,” trustee Carrie Preather said. “I don’t think there’s a big enough difference (in price).”
- approved switching to PEAT, a different pre-bid pool that would give the district property insurance for $64,036, down from this year’s $69,896. “There’s higher coverage, lower deductible,” Chapman said. “Different pool, different risk base, better coverage, better pricing.”
- hired Traci Woodard as a seventh-grade English teacher.
