By Gary Ogle
gogle@wbcowqel.com
Regardless of the fact it has been wet, windy and cold this week, for Colonel Crawford Superintendent Todd Martin the forecast is worth a million bucks – make that a couple of million.
The district’s Board of Education got the mandated five-year forecast this week from Treasurer Vickey Stump and it was a financial ray of sunshine.
“We’re probably as healthy as we have been in a long time as far as a five-year-forecast,” Martin said. “Right now we’re pretty happy.”
District revenues are expected to outpace expenditures significantly the first three years of the forecast. Expected year-end balances are in excess of $2.2 million for FY 2016, $2.9 million in FY 2017 and $3 million in FY 2018.
Although dipping the following two years, the district is still projected to finish with balances of $2.8 million in FY 2019 and $2.4 million in FY 2020.
“I think everybody in the county got money (from the state) they weren’t expecting,” Martin said. “That’s a good thing.”
Martin credited the projected budget surplus to an increase of $736,000 in state funding. That was due in large part to Tier 2 targeted assistance funding, which is related to agriculture property values, and money from outside Capacity Aid.
There is no question that the district benefits financially from open enrollment as well. Open enrollment students into the district will mean a net increase of more than $898,000 in FY 2015. The district could have realized even more state aid but lost nearly $203,000 in FY 2016 because of cap restrictions. Still the amount it will lose in 2015, is less than the amount lost in both 2014 and 2015.
Martin noted the district has also been frugal on its end.
“Since I’ve been here, we’ve cut something every year by not replacing. I think we’re running pretty efficient right now,” Martin said. “With the state aid we’re making the buck go as far as it can go.”
The district also picked up an additional $79,500 in transportation aid meaning it can purchase two new buses instead of one.
In a couple of other items, there will be a pre-bid meeting for lawn care contracts at 4:30 p.m., Nov. 23, in the high school cafeteria.
Both the move to the new high school wing and the public auction of old high school items have been pushed back to December. The auction is now scheduled for 11 a.m., Dec. 19. Unattached items such as chairs, desks, cabinets and the like will be sold. Martin said three buses from the district’s fleet will also be on the auction block.