Disturbing budget news . . .

In two weeks the board will be asked to approve the 2011-12 annual budget. In a normal year we would have been ready with a recommendation earlier, but this was not a normal year. The legislature went into an extra long session and made cuts that required us to meet with bargaining units. The process was further complicated because of a change to the budget and personnel software system we use.

The good news is that we have a proposed budget that uses some fund balance, but still should keep us in the 3% range. We were able to do this without needing to make significant cuts to staff or programs. We were conservative in our enrollment and other estimates so we should be ok for the year.

Now for the bad news. The economic forecast coming out in September is expected to have lower than projected revenues. In this Times article we learn that the governor may need to call another special session and has alerted state agencies to prepare for additional cuts. So, we may pass a budget in August that will, like last year, receive less state revenue than expected. We are hearing that this could be in the $100 per student range, a number that we would not likely be able to make up without adjustments or a significant drain on the projected reserve.

I don't see how they will be able to cut that much without dipping into basic education that would more than likely result in more law suits and negative energy drain. The state must find a way to provide for a STABLE basic education budget. The high expectations for student achievement must be balanced by high support from the state and federal level. Cuts to our state revenue after budgets have been developed for two straight years is not what I would call high support. Our local community is doing their share, it is time for the state to step forward and meet it's constitutional obligation to make education it's paramount duty.