Thank you, Superintendent Suzan Patton, for informing your community.

In addition, the 2009-10 major cuts in staffing, student contact days, and frugal spending set the table for the prosperous turnaround. While cash was not free flowing, the district was able to add a part-time nurse’s aid, a College and Career Counselor, and a Kindergarten Transitions classroom. All three positions directly impacted K-12 students.
However, since our current budget was built in July, a pall has been cast over Kansas’ finances. Currently, $64,000 has been cut out of our general fund state aid. The general fund pays for all operational costs, except for buildings and equipment.
While $64,000 may not seem like much out of a $7,000,000 general fund, know that it would cover the majority of expenses for our preschool program or Southwest’s after-school program or purchase 60 laptops for high school students or pay salaries.
In addition, we will lose $119,000 from supplemental general state aid, which is promised by the state to support the local taxes you pay. This fund, in its infancy, was used to provide the “extras” for operations. Now the fund is a necessity to maintain our current operational levels.
This year’s reductions will possibly be off set by savings from food service, or we will rely on our contingency reserve, the “rainy day fund” for districts.. Right now, we have about $527,000 to cover emergencies. Legislators have criticized superintendents for keeping money in reserve; however, it will certainly help us survive today’s tough times.
While our revenue is being decreased, dramatic increases in property insurance, heating and air-conditioning costs, special education assessments, and automobile fuel have occurred. In order to keep buildings open, the board of education and I will be evaluating all possible streams of revenue and all possible reductions that will save money in preparation for anticipated cuts for the 2015-2016 school year.

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