Published: January 26, 2009 09:02 am      

Now is the time to speak up about school district budget

We have been down this road before. Whenever the first of the year rolls around, the Clinton School District once again has to work toward putting together a budget that has to be certified by mid-April for the upcoming fiscal year.

The school district now is in the process of doing just that.

Some years can go relatively well, although it always is a challenge to cover costs with funding driven by a declining student enrollment and ever increasing student needs.

But this budget appears to be presenting even more difficulty. Not only is the district juggling a current budget impacted by Gov. Chet Culver's 1.5 percent budget cut that takes effect right away — effectively draining $342,000 from this year's budget — it also is faced with a 4 percent allowable growth for next year that will be less than that due to the state funding formula and our declining enrollment. School officials also are bracing for the real possibility that more could be cut from the current budget by state action and that allowable growth also could be reduced as legislators do their work in Des Moines.

And while the district is not yet sure what its revenue will be, it also is not sure how expenses will shake out. Contract negotiations with the Clinton Education Association are under way and it is not yet known what the teachers and district will settle on for salary and benefits packages and what roles increasing insurance costs will play.

Clinton also has an issue with its cash on hand — there is no rainy day fund. The board had about $4,150,000 on hand in fiscal year 1999, but that amount started to decline when the board decided to lower the tax rate. The declining amount can be attributed to the board working to save staff and programming that were endangered throughout the years. By fiscal year 2006 that amount was $473,316; the district has been working to bring it back up ever since.

OK, so here’s the picture: Revenues are short in this district as they are for everybody — from corporations to personal checkbooks. What we thought we would have or will have continues to be cut. Unknown variables have yet to be determined.

The bottom line is that the district may have to come up with some areas to cut and is looking for public input.

The district now is getting figures from building principals and the board said it wants input from staff members and the public as to what they believe is important and what could be cut if necessary.

That information then will be used as the board shapes its budget and keeps an eye on the Legislature’s actions and while CEA negotiations take place. So, if you have an opinion, now is the time to be heard. Call your school board members. Go to a school board meeting. Write a letter to the editor.

Your voice and ideas will be appreciated.