Duneland Schools
will advertise its 2016 budget at $66,352,100, an increase of almost $1.3
million over 2015’s advertised amount.
Monday’s school
board meeting marked the start of the yearly budget process beginning with a
preliminary review by Duneland’s Chief Financial Officer Lynn Kwilasz and
the board’s authorization to advertise for a public hearing next month.
Indiana state
lawmakers’ decision to increase student funding at public schools this year
is making the budgeting process for Duneland schools an easier task. The
foundation amount schools will get is $4,967 per student. Compared to $4,587
for 2015, that’s a difference of $380 per student and the largest the school
corporation has received since 2009.
Also, more good
news for Duneland, full day kindergarten students will be counted as full
instead of half when the state makes its count to determine the Average
Daily Membership on Friday, Sept. 18.
ADM is what the
state uses to determine how much support a school corporation will get from
the state school funding formula.
With the larger
cash flow expected next year, Duneland Schools Superintendent David Pruis
said the funds will help cover increases to employee benefits, additional
supply costs and professional development.
The general fund
for 2016 is estimated at $36.9 million, which is provided by a percentage of
the state’s sales tax.
The other budgets
-- capital funds projects, debt service, pension debt service,
transportation, bus replacement and the referendum -- are supported through
local property taxes.
The largest of
those is the capital projects fund with $9.4 million advertised for next
year. The fund pays for technology, construction, building improvements and
acquisitions.
Kwilasz said the
advertised amount for Capital Projects Fund (CPF), as well as all other
levied funds, are advertised at higher than what the levy is expected to
capture to gain the maximum amount available. Last year the fund was
advertised a little below $9.4 million and the state certified the budget at
$8.6 million.
“We make it higher
to get all the dollars we are entitled to,” said Kwilasz.
For 2016, Kwilasz
said she expects the CPF fund to be certified at between $8.2 million to
$8.4 million. The schools did acquire more funds for facility projects
earlier this year at the board’s decision to issue a bond, she added.
Buses
The bus replacement
fund’s advertised amount is $772,500 for six buses -- four conventional
size, one special needs and one “pusher” school bus. Kwilasz expects the
levy to come in at $715,000 but the fund has built up cash reserves which
will help cover the total costs. The reserve money should last until about
2020, she said, then the school corporation will need to hold on to buses or
make a case to the state for more growth.
The buses are on a
12-year replacement plan. They are acquired through cooperative purchasing
with other schools districts in the state.
Board member Ron
Stone advised that costs for vehicles are rising considerably and new
residential development is coming in the next few years, which could be
challenging. Kwilasz said harsh winter weather has a negative impact,
creating potholes on the roads.
Board President
Ralph Ayres said perhaps schools could reach out to legislators to make
changes in funding for buses as other school corporations are facing the
same dilemma.
“I imagine they’re
probably having the same conversation we’re having,” he said.
Referendum
The school
referendum fund will be advertised at $5,875,000 to achieve the full 22
cents per $100 of assessed valuation. This will be the fourth year for the
referendum fund.
Kwilasz said the
fund supports 114 staff member salaries and benefits, including nurses,
librarians and aides. Pruis said if there is a cash balance remainder in the
fund, it would be used to pay for programs.
Last year the
referendum fund captured $5,746,240 of the certified levy.
Elsewhere in the
2016 budget, Duneland’s debt service fund is advertised at $7.6 million, its
pension debt service at $1.6 million and its transportation operating at
$4.1 million.
Tax rate
Despite a larger
budget, Kwilasz said Duneland taxpayers can expect to see a lower tax rate
for the schools next year as the school corporation is seeing its certified
net assessed value rise $120 million to $2.597 billion, according to figures
from the County Auditor’s office.
The total rate
advertised is $1.2697 per $100 of AV for 2016. That’s less than the $1.3024
advertised for 2015, which was certified at $1.043 in the final levy.
The growth in AV
will also slow the effects of the property tax caps, Kwilasz said. She
projects the corporation will lose about $400,000 due to the caps next year
but “it’s better than” the $700,000 drop seen a few years ago.
“It’s still a stick
in the eye, but a less sharp stick,” she said.
Public hearing
The public hearing
for the advertised budget will take place at the board’s next meeting on
Monday, Sept. 14. The meeting will begin at 5 p.m. instead of the usual
meeting time of 6 p.m. so the full board can be there.
Board member John
Marshall said he has a presentation with the Duneland Chamber of Commerce at
the Chesterton Town Council at 7 p.m. and requested the time change.
Enrollment climbs
slightly
In his comments to
the board, Pruis said the latest enrollment figure for the school
corporation is 5,894 students, which is 10 more than what the ADM count was
in September 2014.
He said the school
year got off to a smooth start, overall, with much of that to do with the
new building projects and upgrades done by work crews and Duneland Support
Maintenance staff.
Director of Support
Services Greg Lindy was commended on a job well done. There are some
projects that are still being finished up, Lindy said, such as the stadium
repairs at the CHS football field for this year which will be finished
Wednesday.
The basketball
courts at Westchester Intermediate will be completed “in the very near
future,” Lindy added.
Interim Director of
Transportation Kathy Forszt was also lauded by the board for stepping in for
Jim Bonfield, who was killed in motorcycle accident last month.
Agreements
The board
unanimously approved, under the recommendation of service committee, to
accept a lease agreement with the Northwest Indiana Education Services
Center for the use of three classroom spaces and six parking spaces at
Liberty Elementary.