By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com

For many people, the arrival of October heralds the coming of all the telltale signs of fall. If you are a member of a school administration, October signifies something a bit different, if no less important: the five year financial forecast. These reports are made each year to school boards across the state, and attempt to quantify where the school is financially and how things look for the future.

Buckeye Central Treasurer Nancy Ackerman had good news for the Board of Education as she made her report Thursday night. The district is expecting a significant increase to the State Foundation Fund. This fund is money received directly from Columbus, and the new biennium budget put out by the General Assembly will up this substantially. Last year, the district received a little over $4 million in this fund, and the new budget projects that number to approximately $5 million.

“We’re happy,” Superintendet Mark Robinson said. “It gives us a chance to plan and look forward.”

This is a very large change to the state budgets that came out four years ago. That one in particular made some rather steep cuts to school budgets around the state. So to have a rebound like this is a good thing, but also highlights how quickly the landscape can change. Ackerman was quick to point that out as she gave her report. The extra funds are, of course, welcome, but this budget lasts for two years and after that it is very difficult to know what the next one will be.

Another piece of the financial pie is that the district has seen income tax revenues rebound slightly as well. Ackerman also commented on insurance rates for 2016, and the increases are for a modest five percent to health and four percent to dental. Employees will also be able to pick from a selection of three plans come the new year.

“We’re fortunate to work with the unions to choose plans that save us money,” Ackerman said.

Robinson had a little bit of setback to report. Buckeye Central has been placed on the “Watch List” for gap closure. This is an audit of schools across the state who have been ruled to have too big of a gap between various student population groups. In Buckeye’s case, it is for their middle school gap between students with disabilities and the general population.

“We’re far from alone,” Robinson said. “Everyone in the county, except for Colonel Crawford, is on this list. But over the next three years we will have to start to close this gap.”

The Superintendent went on to thank several members of the community for recent donations of time and effort to the District. Cliff Alt recently provided some excavating work on the school grounds, and when Robinson asked him for an invoice, Alt stated that no invoice would be forthcoming. Robinson also thanked Dave Rannells for the continual use of his lift truck for maintenance around the property.

“We have a very supportive community,” Robinson said.

In legislation, the Board considered a long list of policy changes to the District Code. It was approved on a first reading. Robinson elaborated by explaining that he had reviewed the list and most of it the district has no choice in; they are updates to legislation that has been passed in Columbus. He stated that with three readings required, the Board has ample opportunity to review the changes before final ratification.

The next board meeting will begin at 7 p.m. on Oct. 12.