One of the important considerations for the first week is enrollment because the majority of our general fund budget is based upon the number of students that enroll. Yesterday, not counting the high school and kindergarten, we were about 70 below projection. Today, counting the high school, that same number is about 20 above projection. Typically, we would like that number to be between 75 and 100 above projection because it normally decreases over the course of a school year.
Even with our housing issues, I would like to see that number well above projection this year because of the potential for additional budget cuts as early as this month. We know the September revenue projections will be below those that the state used to finalize their budget and the Governor has already warned state agencies to prepare for further cuts. A cushion in the budgeted enrollment would assist us in working through these expected additional cuts. To balance our district budget for the year without major program changes required us to use some of our fund balance, something that we will not be able to continue over time. We now wait to see what the cuts will be and determine at that time if any enrollment increases might offset some of those cuts.
I’m looking forward in the next week to my first opportunity to get into classrooms with principals and to the conversations that follow as we implement our Classroom 10 goal and the support structures necessary to achieve it. Though budget and housing are two very important issues facing our school system, the work in classrooms is still the number one priority as we have another opportunity to support all students through quality learning, every day, in every classroom, for every child.
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