Sen. Ty Masterson is accusing USD 437 of delaying a maintenance project for political reasons. Superintendent Dietrich “expressed gratitude that Masterson intends to address the concerns of districts like hers with a budget proviso, but she rejected his argument concerning her district’s cash balance.
“’We don’t get tax distributions on a monthly basis,’ she said. ‘So it’s a whole cash flow issue.’
“USD 437 pays about $650,000 in custodial and maintenance salaries out of its maintenance fund, she said, and won’t receive its first major payment of 2015-2016 maintenance dollars until halfway through the school year. That will come from Shawnee County and consist of property tax revenue.
“The $869,000 balance is for this payroll, she said, and to stay prepared for emergencies. If a tornado destroys a roof, for example, the district has an insurance deductible of $50,000, she said. An unexpected boiler purchase, meanwhile, can cost upwards of $70,000.
“’We try and always carry a million in our capital outlay reserve,’ she said, adding this year’s budgeted carryover ‘is not excessive — it’s minimal.’”
Read more here: http://cjonline.com/news/2015-04-06/senator-suggests-delaying-school-maintenance-political-move