Maintenance & Operations Fund

During the year, the District had governmental funds revenues, adjusted for capital projects, of $78,040,294, an increase of $856,398 or 1.1% over the previous year’s revenue of $77,183,896. The governmental funds expenditures, adjusted for capital projects, were $77,616,540, a decrease of $1,024,258 or 1.3% under the previous year expenditures of $78,640,798. The decrease in expenditures was due primarily to decrease in teacher and staff positions and budget allocations, decrease of debt payments, and a decrease in the requirement to remit local tax dollars ($7,222,813 Robin Hood payment) back to the state, this having been the fifth year of participation as a paying district under the present funding system. Our districts M&O funds are comprised of both local taxes and some federal funding and they are categorized in different allotments (CTE, Special Ed, ESL, Transportation, etc.) Property tax rates for 2009-10 were the same as the previous year $1.04 for maintenance and operations and $0.29 for debt service. Although the tax rate remained the same property taxes increased $3,055,047 or 5.6% due to an increase in property values. As stated in earlier reflections, my district has done a very good job adjusting to lower budgets. Moral has been maintained high and there have been few cuts in personnel. “Fluff” positions as many might see them as are not being renewed. In my middle school for example, we had two band directors and one retired and was not replaced. The proposed budget this year was presented to all and although there was a lot of chat, the consensus amongst all was that we must do as much as we can to keep on being successful with less money. The Long Range Planning Committee is in the planning stages to recommend a new bond package to remodel, repair roofs, update air conditioning system and technology infrastructure in the near future. This bong will provide funds for an array of school projects including a new elementary, remodeling of a middle school, and many other improvements.