School Budget Looks Bleak

We’re in the last month for action on the school budget. The Governor presented his budget months ago and it included $36 million in cuts to the public schools. Last September school districts in Delaware received a total of $24 million from the Federal Government aimed at preserving local jobs. It’s called Edjobs money and it can only be used for salaries and fixed costs at the school level. Lake Forest, like most districts, sat on that money to use it to plug holes for next school year – FY12.

As you can see, 24 is significantly smaller than 36, so the hole didn’t get plugged. We have a $12 million dollar hole.

Here’s how this plays out for Lake Forest:

The proposed budget reduces support for school transportation by 10% across the board. For Lake Forest that amounts to $231,200. We have no local control over the actual costs of buses and bus runs because it is all determined by state formula. And the number of buses allowed in the district has always been in the hands of the state transportation office. Edjobs money cannot be used for this. So, our only options are to reduce the number of buses or use $231K of local money to maintain services. Fewer buses on the road mean longer runs and more students on each bus.

The proposed budget cuts $635,000 from Lake Forest by not replacing the loss of federal dollars (Stimulus and stabilization money) that have been used to pay for Education Tax Relief and other former state budgeted initiatives. In Lake Forest we have used this money for a variety of things including School Resource Officers, tutoring and summer school.

Finally, the proposed budget eliminates something called the flexibility block grant which used to be around $350,000 and was slashed last year down to $163,500.

So, Lake Forest is facing a possible loss of $1+ million in a variety of areas and we have $800,000, our share of Edjobs money for this one year. There is no more discretionary money.

All districts have been reducing positions and programs over the last couple of years. Even though we have the same number of students and Race to the Top has added to the work load. Next year will be tough and FY13 will be really ugly.

To add insult to injury, there appears to be a surplus of around $320 million in the Delaware budget right now. The Governor has proposed and the General Assembly seems poised in support to spend it on a lot of 1 shot allocations – roads, buildings, etc. Pretty smart, huh?

I don’t know. I have a prediction. You will soon see a referendum to increase the local school tax to replace the loss of state dollars, not only in Lake Forest but in other districts around the state. We are apparently awash in money with $320 million surplus and $100 million in Race to the Top Funds and districts will be reducing services and slashing more jobs than ever in FY13.

"Water, water everywhere,
And all the boards did shrink
Water, water everywhere
Nor any drop to drink."

from *The Rime of the Ancient Mariner* by Samuel Taylor Coleridge