Senath-Hornersville sets goals to achieve a balanced budget for current school year

Administrators with the Senath-Hornersville School District, including, from left, Elementary Principal Kevin Reddick, High School Principal Kim Campbell, and Superintendent Larry Wood, review financial statements at a recent Board of Education meeting. File Photo

"If nothing changes, we will have a balanced budget for this year," Wood said.

According to the administrator, the final numbers from 2009 Dunklin County Clerk's office projected an assessed valuation of $43,974,972 an increase of $2,127,672 from last year. He continued, saying the district will receive an estimated county tax of $1,468,746.

"For this budget we are calculating state aid at .86 and .81 of the pro-ration factor of the old formula which makes up 42 percent of formula money, or about $1,335,290, and new formula money which makes up 58 percent of the formula, estimated at $1,843,972," Wood said. "The estimated state formula payment this year is $ 3,179,262 a decrease of about $50,605 from last year."

Wood said the state formula payment is down due to an decrease in the number of students enrolled.

Wood said the budget reflects additional salary increases for certified employees and no increase for non-certified employees.

"Health and Life insurance have been calculated at the proposed amount of $354.95 per employee per month for certified and non-certified personnel," Wood said. "Other items reflected in this budget are Board of Education staffing proposals, the integration of the third year of two programs, and needed technology for the district through local, state and federal funds as well as the ARRA (American Recovery and Reinvestment Act) federal funds we will receive."

The superintendent said the two programs that are in their third year are Reading First and Close the Gap. He cited the needed technology as computers, smart boards, and projectors.

"It will be imperative that we follow the guidelines of the district budget-spending plan for the 2009-2010 school term," Wood said. "As noted in the proposed budget, the district's fund balance will not include a growth in fund balances because of the added expenditures. Estimated Revenue will be $7,796,398 and estimated expenditures will be $7,796,398.

"We will try to maintain a balanced budget for the 2009-2010 school year."

Wood said that over the eight years he has been employed with Senath-Hornersville, the general fund has increased $829,000, and the teacher's fund has increased $1,161,000. He said the capital projects fund has stayed about the same, however the food service fund has increased $89,000.

Wood added that the total revenue for the district has increased $2,000,000 in the last eight years.

"We're going to have to work at not increasing it [expenditures] any more than we can over the next year or two," Wood said. "We are operating now on a balanced budget and are watching very closely what we spend and what we buy."