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Latest FY2020 budget presented to U-46 board


By Seth Hancock
  School District U-46 plans to increase spending by 6.5 percent despite expecting a 2.5 percent decline in enrollment in the 2019-2020 school year as the Fiscal Year 2020 budget was presented to the Board of Education on Monday, Aug. 12. Board member Melissa Owens was absent.
  A public hearing on the budget is set for Sept. 9 with a final board vote on Sept. 23.
  Expenditures are set at $594.3 million, a $36.2 million increase over last year’s $558.1 million budget and a $14.7 million increase from the $579.6 million tentatively set for FY2020 in June. Salaries and benefits are the largest expense at $403.7 million ($14.4 million increase from last year), and purchased services saw the largest increase (additional $5.7 million) from the June tentative budget.
  Revenues are set at $596 million, a $34.9 million or 6.2 percent increase over last year’s $561.1 million budget and a $15 million increase from the $581 million in the June tentative budget.
  The largest change in revenue from the June tentative budget was from the district’s expectations from the state’s “evidence-based” funding formula as U-46 expects $197 million, a $22.5 million increase from last year as opposed to the $8.5 million increase expected in June. Local sources make up the largest revenue side which is expected to increase $9.3 million ($323.6 million to $332.9 million) including a $3.1 million increase in property tax revenue ($303.8 million to $306.9 million).
  In the FY2019 budget, U-46 projected spending this year to only rise by $1 million to $559.1 million and revenue by $3.2 million to $564.3 million.
  U-46 expects a loss of 950 total students in enrollment from 38,394 in 2018-2019 to 37,444 this year. At the same time of the enrollment declines, the budget adds 84 total full-time employee (FTE) positions for 4,810 total FTEs which include new administrators, interventionists, instructional coaches and staff for special education and English language learners according to Dale Burnidge, director of financial operations.
  Based on this year’s enrollment projection, the district plans to utilize only 67 percent of its capacity of 56,224.
  The trend of spending increases, including adding staff, despite enrollment declines has been ongoing over the last four years and is projected to remain into the foreseeable future according to the budget’s forecast.
  From 2018-2019 to 2022-2023, the district expects a loss of 3,449 total students for a 9 percent decrease in enrollment (38,394 to 34,945). At the same time, spending is projected to rise 14 percent. The district projects a loss of on average 862.3 students per year and only 62 percent of its capacity being utilized by 2022-2023.
  Spending is projected to rise on average $14 million each year for $636.2 million total by 2023. Revenues are expected to rise an average $13.6 million annually for $636.9 million total in 2023.
  On the property tax levy, U-46 plans to continue its trend of asking for the largest allowed under the law and plans an abatement. The levy amount will be determined in December according to Burnidge.
  “Our property tax can grow at a rate of inflation, as measured by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), plus any revenue from new construction,” said Burnidge. He said CPI was 2.1 percent in 2016 and 2017 and 1.9 percent in 2018 with a projected 1.9 percent in 2019.
  Burnidge said “looking forward, we’re projecting about $6 million a year” in additional property taxation with a projected 2 percent CPI. The levy is estimated to be $324 million by 2022.
  Along with the $197 million in “evidence-based” state revenue, the district projects $27.3 million over four state categorical payments.
  Burnidge noted one of the categorical payments from the state comes from an “orphanage claim.”
  Board member Kate Thommes asked what the “orphanage claim” was and Burnidge said: “That’s one of the special ed claims that we do submit to the state where we do get reimbursed for some of those costs. It’s not a large amount, but it’s a smaller amount.”
  No further explanation of what the “orphanage claim” is was given.
  In 2017 under the former general state aid formula, U-46 received $120 million according to Burnidge. Under the “evidence-based” formula that has increased to $157 million in 2018 and $178 million in 2019, this from a state that’s $160.9 billion in debt according to usdebtclock.org.
  On federal funding, Burnidge said “our federal levels are very similar to last year” with an expected $38.8 million.
  On the spending side, Burnidge said “about 70 percent of our total budget” comes from salaries and benefits and noting that “we’ve added additional staffing positions” and there is an expected 5 percent rise in health insurance costs.
  Salaries are expected to increase from $254 million in 2016 to $303 million this year and benefits from $90 million to $101 million. Combined, that’s an increase from $344 million to $404 million.
  Other expenditures presented included $38 million for capital projects, $6.9 million for technology and $4.1 million for replacement of 43 buses.
  Also noted was additional funds set aside for schools to propose “innovations.” U-46 CEO Tony Sanders said: “If their school, their site and their teachers have innovations that they would like to propose to be funded across the district, then we would consider those as long as they align to the board’s five-year vision.”
  Sanders said an attachment with further details was provided to the board, but it was not posted for the public.
  On debt management, Burnidge said U-46’s principal has been reduced $101 million since the last major debt issuance in 2015 and the outstanding principal debt will be $218 million by the end of FY2020.
  In 2019, the district plans to pay $23 million on the principal and $20 million on interest payments. Interest payments are expected to be higher than principal payments in 2020 ($23 million interest/$21 million principal), 2021 ($26 million interest/$16 million principal) and 2022 ($27 million interest/$16 million principal).
  The board spent less than 10 minutes discussing the budget with the majority of that discussion from administrators lauding its plan to add more instructional coaches.

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