District 158 School Board Looks to Slash Budget

Consolidated School District 158 board members on Thursday night discussed postponing approximately $6 million in expenditures for 2012 in an effort to maintain a balanced budget and avoid future increases in classroom sizes.

School board members and administrators reviewed the first draft of the Fiscal Year 2012 budget, which lists operating revenues at $74.9 million and operating expenditures at $81.4 million.

If the district does not trim its budget it would face a $6.4 million deficit, Chief Financial Officer Mark Altmayer said.

Altmayer provided the board with a list $6.5 million of expenditures to review. He said the board should consider the possibility of cutting the items or finding a way to decrease the amounts.

The list includes:

• $1 million of improvements to Academic Drive
• $1 million to replace outdated technology such as computers
• $400,000 to adopt textbooks for literacy program
• $382,099 for various building projects
• $659,250 for new employee hiring based on enrollment
• $2 million payment for 2007 debt certificates

Administrators will compile a more specific list of proposed expenditures and will seek firm direction regarding staffing at the next Committee of a Whole meeting on March 3.

Check back to Monday's LITH Patch for a more detailed story regarding District 158's proposed budget cuts.