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School district to reinstate several slashed programs
The Douglas County School District plans to reinstate several programs next year that were cut from the 2003-04 budget.
By By:Susan Dage-Ruby
The $17 million from a mill levy override approved by voters last November will be used to reinstate several of the programs that were removed from the 2003-04 budget. The programs were removed because the state's recension of more than $80 million to districts statewide, said Chris Stutler, chief financial officer for the district.
In 2003-04 the district applied $400,000 it received in commissions from an exclusive distribution agreement it has with the Coca-Cola Co. commissions to help shore up the general fund budget, Stutler said.
This year, the district will be able to use the Coca-Cola commissions for secondary school athletic programs, Stutler said.
The district also will reinstate $775,000 to schools and departments for supplies and $1.2 million for school and office equipment. It also will reinstate $1.2 million for textbooks.
About $550,000 will be used for charter schools and to replace textbooks in all schools, Stutler said.
Supplies for art, music, special programs and one-time requests will receive $680,000, she said.
About $2.1 million is reserved to cover a 1 percent salary increase for all district employees, with retirement and Medicare increases factored in and $1.7 million will be earmarked to hire about 40 full-time support staff employees.
About $5.8 million will be used toward the daily expenses of the district, Stutler said.
The remaining approximately $3 million will be used to help maintain a continency reserve and the 5 percent of the general fund balance in reserve by the district, Stutler said.
The district is in the midst of teacher contract negotiations, said Pat McGraw, president of the Douglas County Teachers Foundation.
"This is the first time we have used the budget [in] negotiations," McGraw said. "It's also an accountability tool. It shows teachers and the community members where the money is going."
A benefit of being able to use the budget for negotiations is that the federation of teachers hopes to have a contract to present to its teachers for approval by the end of April, McGraw said.
A portion of the $17 million also will be used for a test program, Stutler said.
An allocation of $150,000 will be set aside for a pilot program in some schools that will allow teachers more planning time and more time for individual interaction with students, she said.
The general fund budget already has undergone some revisions because the Consumer Price Index inflation rate came in at 1.1 percent instead of the projected 1.7 to 2.1 percent, Stutler said.
"The smaller inflation rate lowers the [per student] state funding projection for the budget about $1.4 million," Stutler said.
The total state funding per student is projected to be $5,862.94, Stutler said.
Including the $17 million budget override, next year's school district general fund revenues should be about $35.4 million.
The projected expenditures for the general fund are about $34 million. The total expected budget for 2004-05 is $303 million, Stutler said.
A preliminary look at next year's general budget was presented to the Douglas County Board of Education, March 2.
The district finance department will present a general fund update to the board at its 7 p.m., April 6 meeting in the third-floor board room at 620 Wilcox St., Castle Rock. The board also will hear a presentation on other budgets, such as the building fund, special grants and insurance funds.
Final approval of the budget is slated for June 15, Stutler said.
By By:Susan Dage-Ruby
The $17 million from a mill levy override approved by voters last November will be used to reinstate several of the programs that were removed from the 2003-04 budget. The programs were removed because the state's recension of more than $80 million to districts statewide, said Chris Stutler, chief financial officer for the district.
In 2003-04 the district applied $400,000 it received in commissions from an exclusive distribution agreement it has with the Coca-Cola Co. commissions to help shore up the general fund budget, Stutler said.
This year, the district will be able to use the Coca-Cola commissions for secondary school athletic programs, Stutler said.
The district also will reinstate $775,000 to schools and departments for supplies and $1.2 million for school and office equipment. It also will reinstate $1.2 million for textbooks.
About $550,000 will be used for charter schools and to replace textbooks in all schools, Stutler said.
Supplies for art, music, special programs and one-time requests will receive $680,000, she said.
About $2.1 million is reserved to cover a 1 percent salary increase for all district employees, with retirement and Medicare increases factored in and $1.7 million will be earmarked to hire about 40 full-time support staff employees.
About $5.8 million will be used toward the daily expenses of the district, Stutler said.
The remaining approximately $3 million will be used to help maintain a continency reserve and the 5 percent of the general fund balance in reserve by the district, Stutler said.
The district is in the midst of teacher contract negotiations, said Pat McGraw, president of the Douglas County Teachers Foundation.
"This is the first time we have used the budget [in] negotiations," McGraw said. "It's also an accountability tool. It shows teachers and the community members where the money is going."
A benefit of being able to use the budget for negotiations is that the federation of teachers hopes to have a contract to present to its teachers for approval by the end of April, McGraw said.
A portion of the $17 million also will be used for a test program, Stutler said.
An allocation of $150,000 will be set aside for a pilot program in some schools that will allow teachers more planning time and more time for individual interaction with students, she said.
The general fund budget already has undergone some revisions because the Consumer Price Index inflation rate came in at 1.1 percent instead of the projected 1.7 to 2.1 percent, Stutler said.
"The smaller inflation rate lowers the [per student] state funding projection for the budget about $1.4 million," Stutler said.
The total state funding per student is projected to be $5,862.94, Stutler said.
Including the $17 million budget override, next year's school district general fund revenues should be about $35.4 million.
The projected expenditures for the general fund are about $34 million. The total expected budget for 2004-05 is $303 million, Stutler said.
A preliminary look at next year's general budget was presented to the Douglas County Board of Education, March 2.
The district finance department will present a general fund update to the board at its 7 p.m., April 6 meeting in the third-floor board room at 620 Wilcox St., Castle Rock. The board also will hear a presentation on other budgets, such as the building fund, special grants and insurance funds.
Final approval of the budget is slated for June 15, Stutler said.
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