Post by momto4 on Mar 11, 2011 13:20:49 GMT -5
District 204 may reinstate funds for technology, facilities
napervillesun.suntimes.com/news/schools/4196408-418/district-204-may-reinstate-funds-for-technology-facilities.html
he outlook in District 204 may be getting a little brighter in the areas of technology and facilities.
Dave Holm, assistant superintendent of business and finance for the district, presented a three-year financial forecast to the board of education Monday night suggesting that some previously cut funding for technology and facilities be restored.
Holm called the forecast the “beginning of this discussion” but not the final say. But he did warn that if the district doesn’t reinstate capital outlay for technology and facilities, it may never be able to keep pace with ongoing needs.
“We know we have a lot of work ahead of us as we go through the next few months and we have a lot to learn as to what’s going to happen down in Springfield,” he said. “But the main thing, we really feel it’s important to get out in front of you the importance of (taking) care of technology and building repairs. We’re going to have to, eventually, and if we don’t take care of it on a regular basis, ...it will be very difficult for us to do it.”
The financial forecast is based on certain assumptions, Holm said. These include Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposed budget, that state delays in payments will stabilize as a result of an income tax increase and the likely issuance of bonds, and that the $21.4 million in austerity reductions made by the district for this year, with the exception of facilities and technology, will continue.
Holm said state funding is the most significant variable in the financial forecast. Currently, the state owes the district $8.7 million. As of March 31, that amount will climb to $13 million.
“We shouldn’t assume there will be more money coming out of that state income tax increase,” he said. “The best we can hope for is that they can come closer to what they have already committed to.”
Other assumptions used are the Consumer Price Index, the total equalized assessed value analysis, the total equalized assessed value percent change, the existing equalized assessed value percent change and new equalized assessed value growth.
Holm said in fiscal year 2009 the district had a 0.10 percent increase in the CPI, the lowest in the 20-year history of the tax cap. The CPI in 2011 is 1.5 percent, which is the second lowest increase. Projections of the CPI for fiscal years 2012 through 2016 are at 2.50 percent, which is based on the district’s average.
The district is anticipating a slight reduction in the EAV in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 and then projecting growth in the fiscal years 2013 through 2016, Holm said.
Budget projections for the next three fiscal years include line items for technology and building repairs and maintenance in the amount of $3 million for fiscal year 2012 and $1.5 million for each of fiscal years 2013 and 2014.
“Honestly, it should be more,” Holm said. “If things go well, it will be more because we haven’t done our work yet ... as we start to look at ways that we can do some reductions in this year’s budget. If we can do that, I think we can put more money into technology.”
Board member Dawn DeSart said the board has been allowing for high-priority projects, pointing to its approval earlier in the evening of $326,000 for a roofing project at Cowlishaw Elementary School.
“It’s not like we’re letting the buildings fall to pieces,” she said. “... We really are doing some of that work even though money is tight.”
School Superintendent Kathy Birkett agreed that technology is a high priority.
“It’s become an issue for our teaching staff, whether or not they can do their job,” she said. “It’s become an issue in whether or not we’ll be able to meet the needs of our kids when we give them assessments. With that, we recognize we don’t want to fall too far behind on our buildings. So we’re still working to prioritize.”
Board President Curt Bradshaw said the financial forecast was “very reassuring” and that staff members’ efforts have put the district in a positive financial position.
“You are basically presenting us what is a balanced budget for the next three years,” he said. “... We’ve got some work to do and to find some efficiencies and hopefully do it in a pain-free, or minimized pain, way.”
Holm pointed to several statistics that measure the current positive position of the district. The district has the best pupil to administrator ratio in DuPage County at 347.5 to 1. The DuPage County average is 189.5 to 1 and the state average is 203.8 to 1.
District 204’s operation expenditures per pupil in 2009 (the most recent statistics available) is $10,020 to 1. This is the lowest of six unit districts in DuPage County and 26 percent lower than the county’s unit district average of $13,504. The state average is $11,197 per pupil.
In addition, the district has earned the state’s highest profile score of “Recognition” six of the last seven years, received the ASBO (Association of School Business Officials) certificate of excellence in financial reporting the last three years and earned a Moody’s Aa1 rating.
Holm said, at this stage, the financial forecast has been created with broad strokes.
“As we get to the budget itself, we will use finer brushes,” he said.
napervillesun.suntimes.com/news/schools/4196408-418/district-204-may-reinstate-funds-for-technology-facilities.html
he outlook in District 204 may be getting a little brighter in the areas of technology and facilities.
Dave Holm, assistant superintendent of business and finance for the district, presented a three-year financial forecast to the board of education Monday night suggesting that some previously cut funding for technology and facilities be restored.
Holm called the forecast the “beginning of this discussion” but not the final say. But he did warn that if the district doesn’t reinstate capital outlay for technology and facilities, it may never be able to keep pace with ongoing needs.
“We know we have a lot of work ahead of us as we go through the next few months and we have a lot to learn as to what’s going to happen down in Springfield,” he said. “But the main thing, we really feel it’s important to get out in front of you the importance of (taking) care of technology and building repairs. We’re going to have to, eventually, and if we don’t take care of it on a regular basis, ...it will be very difficult for us to do it.”
The financial forecast is based on certain assumptions, Holm said. These include Gov. Pat Quinn’s proposed budget, that state delays in payments will stabilize as a result of an income tax increase and the likely issuance of bonds, and that the $21.4 million in austerity reductions made by the district for this year, with the exception of facilities and technology, will continue.
Holm said state funding is the most significant variable in the financial forecast. Currently, the state owes the district $8.7 million. As of March 31, that amount will climb to $13 million.
“We shouldn’t assume there will be more money coming out of that state income tax increase,” he said. “The best we can hope for is that they can come closer to what they have already committed to.”
Other assumptions used are the Consumer Price Index, the total equalized assessed value analysis, the total equalized assessed value percent change, the existing equalized assessed value percent change and new equalized assessed value growth.
Holm said in fiscal year 2009 the district had a 0.10 percent increase in the CPI, the lowest in the 20-year history of the tax cap. The CPI in 2011 is 1.5 percent, which is the second lowest increase. Projections of the CPI for fiscal years 2012 through 2016 are at 2.50 percent, which is based on the district’s average.
The district is anticipating a slight reduction in the EAV in fiscal years 2011 and 2012 and then projecting growth in the fiscal years 2013 through 2016, Holm said.
Budget projections for the next three fiscal years include line items for technology and building repairs and maintenance in the amount of $3 million for fiscal year 2012 and $1.5 million for each of fiscal years 2013 and 2014.
“Honestly, it should be more,” Holm said. “If things go well, it will be more because we haven’t done our work yet ... as we start to look at ways that we can do some reductions in this year’s budget. If we can do that, I think we can put more money into technology.”
Board member Dawn DeSart said the board has been allowing for high-priority projects, pointing to its approval earlier in the evening of $326,000 for a roofing project at Cowlishaw Elementary School.
“It’s not like we’re letting the buildings fall to pieces,” she said. “... We really are doing some of that work even though money is tight.”
School Superintendent Kathy Birkett agreed that technology is a high priority.
“It’s become an issue for our teaching staff, whether or not they can do their job,” she said. “It’s become an issue in whether or not we’ll be able to meet the needs of our kids when we give them assessments. With that, we recognize we don’t want to fall too far behind on our buildings. So we’re still working to prioritize.”
Board President Curt Bradshaw said the financial forecast was “very reassuring” and that staff members’ efforts have put the district in a positive financial position.
“You are basically presenting us what is a balanced budget for the next three years,” he said. “... We’ve got some work to do and to find some efficiencies and hopefully do it in a pain-free, or minimized pain, way.”
Holm pointed to several statistics that measure the current positive position of the district. The district has the best pupil to administrator ratio in DuPage County at 347.5 to 1. The DuPage County average is 189.5 to 1 and the state average is 203.8 to 1.
District 204’s operation expenditures per pupil in 2009 (the most recent statistics available) is $10,020 to 1. This is the lowest of six unit districts in DuPage County and 26 percent lower than the county’s unit district average of $13,504. The state average is $11,197 per pupil.
In addition, the district has earned the state’s highest profile score of “Recognition” six of the last seven years, received the ASBO (Association of School Business Officials) certificate of excellence in financial reporting the last three years and earned a Moody’s Aa1 rating.
Holm said, at this stage, the financial forecast has been created with broad strokes.
“As we get to the budget itself, we will use finer brushes,” he said.