Budget limits based on last year’s figure
mean some programs will be spared from cuts
By:Emily Craighead
Thanks to a miscalculation in state aid six years ago, the school district won’t have to sacrifice existing programs to the budget law known as S-1701 for the 2005-06 school year, at least.
"I think we can get (the budget) down to cap this year and maintain all our programs," Superintendent Donald Burkhardt told the Board of Education on Dec. 21. "Despite S-1701, we will be all right this year."
The new law was designed to limit increases in school budgets by capping the amount of new spending a district can add each year. Many school districts across the state are triaging extracurricular programs and course offerings to comply with the 3 percent cap on budget increases under S-1701.
But Manville’s temporary advantage over these districts comes from a miscalculation that resulted in the district receiving approximately $1 million extra in state aid more than five years ago, according to Business Administrator Dick Reilly.
The district has been repaying a part of the extra aid over the past five years and its final $139,000 payment was included in the 2004-05 budget.
"It was a major victory to be able to maintain programs and still pay that back," Dr. Burkhardt said.
Now, he said, the district will benefit because next year’s maximum budget increase of 3 percent was calculated to include the $139,000. Because that "loan" has been paid off, the district can allocate the funds to help meet other needs within the district.
Over the Christmas recess, board members received a preliminary budget to review.
This version of the budget included a total 5.63 percent increase in spending, which must be whittled down to a 3 percent increase before voters have their say in April.
Anticipating the new spending restrictions, Dr. Burkhardt said he requested his building principals and administrators keep their budget wish lists short this year.
"That is already down," Mr. Reilly said Tuesday. "We’re working on that now as we speak."
In fact, Dr. Burkhardt predicted the actual tax rate could be less than the past two or three years.
In the coming weeks, the board’s Facilities and Finance Committee will meet to discuss the budget and identify where to trim extra costs.
The budget will undergo numerous revisions by Dr. Burkhardt, Mr. Reilly and the board before a public hearing March 22.
The state’s miscalculation, which had to do with the number of students receiving free lunches, occurred before Dr. Burkhardt or Mr. Reilly arrived in the district.
"By the time everything was picked up on, the district had spent part of that money," Mr. Reilly said.
Similar miscalculations occurred in other school districts as well, he said.