Clarkston School board trustees want to reduce the district’s budget by $2 million. With cuts, number crunching, and some additional revenue, administrators have come close, reducing budget deficits by about $1.9 million.
It’s not an across-the-board cut, said Bruce Beamer, executive director for business services, at Monday’s Board of Education meeting.
‘We looked for duplicate budget items, retirement, central office budget ? things that would not be a specific hindrance to specific programs,? Beamer said.
‘We’ve looked at virtually every account in the central office,? said Superintendent Dr. Al Roberts. ‘We’ve asked administrators to bring their budgets in under as much as they can, if they can.?
With the school year more than two-thirds complete, they looked for items on track to come in under budget, Beamer said.
Examples include capital outlays, which has spent about 38.7 percent of its $207,266 budget this year, and fringe benefits, which has used up about 56.1 percent so far of its $16.9 million budget.
The school district is required by contract to issue layoffs by the end of April, but is not yet ready to do so, Roberts said.
‘No one wants to go into April without a recommendation on reductions in personnel,? Roberts said. ‘But if we rush, we would make recommendations that are not in the best interest of students. We don’t want to do that.?
According to Beamer’s budget amendment, approved unanimously by the school board, revenues are expected to increase by $401,522, mostly because of extra federal money for special education. Spending cuts equal about $1.5 million, for a total of about $1.9 million change overall to the budget.
This would cut the district’s deficit from $3.6 million to $1.7 million, with a fund balance of $11.4 million.
‘This is the best we can do with the information at hand,? Beamer said. ‘It could be wrong.?
‘Notify us if the budget is not working out,? said board Secretary Joan Patterson.
Cutting the budget now will reduce budget problems next year, said board President Stephen Hyer.
‘I’d like to see the deficit be the same or less next year,? Hyer said. ‘I do not want to see the deficit grow.?