CLEARFIELD – Due to a shortfall, the Clearfield Area School District Board of Directors approved a tentative increase in the 2008-09 budget Monday night.
“It’s only a tentative increase,” Board Vice President Dave Glass emphasized following the meeting.
Business Manager Jason Barnett told the board the district was going to lose about $80,000 in vocational education funding. He also said the final reimbursement for Girard-Goshen, which is certified by the Pennsylvania Department of Education, was actually a decrease.
“We have a $200,000 shortfall. That’s just under two mills,” he said. “It’s real difficult to deal with.”
Barnett immediately suggested the board schedule another budget work session to determine the course of action.
Barnett said the board could approve the budget at the state’s 5.198 percent millage limit and then move backward.
“That’s a safe idea,” Glass said.
The board agreed to follow Barnett’s advice. As a result, the mills rate tentatively increased from 86.84 to approximately 89 mills.
Board Member Larry Put said, “We need to really study this and look at it a lot.”
Both Glass and Putt were surprised by the shortfall and said it was unexpected.
The tentative General Fund Budget was approved in the amount of $32,421,744, with the Capital Reserve Fund at $1,848,560.
Barnett said the Athletic Fund Budget was set at $188,020 but didn’t include salaries for coaches and game workers.
He said the biggest change was the increase in the officials’ rates.
The district’s Cafeteria Fund Budget was approved at $1,319,892.
Barnett noted a 20 cent increase in the cost of student lunches.
The board will have a regular meeting Tuesday, May 27, while a budget work session has been scheduled for Monday, June 2. Both meetings will be held at 6:30 p.m. at the middle school library.