CLEARFIELD – The Clearfield school board approved its tentative 2014-15 general fund budget without raising real estate taxes during Monday night’s combined committee and board meeting.
Business Administrator Sam Maney has projected the district’s revenues will be $33,249,807. He’s also projected its expenditures will be $36,560,438, resulting in a deficit of $3,310,631.
According to Maney, he initially projected a $2,548,425 budget deficit for the current-year. The district, he said, has already trimmed that budget deficit to $1,170,331, or by approximately $1.4 million.
Maney said the district is likely to further trim the projected deficit for the current-year. “I think we can do better than that, and maybe even break even or finish with a small surplus,” he said.
Despite the projected deficit next year, he couldn’t justify recommending a real estate tax increase. He said there was too much uncertainty, especially so far as future budget figures with the district’s school building consolidation. However, with the current state of the retirement system and until there’s a change in PlanCon, he said its budget will get “tighter and tighter,” and the district may have to consider raising real estate taxes in the future.
Maney also presented capital fund projections for the Clearfield Area Junior-Senior High School and Clearfield Area Elementary. Next school year, the district will consolidate into a 7-12 campus at the CAJSHS and a K-6 campus at the CAE.
Maney has projected the capital projects fund will be $1,295,437 for the CAJSHS. This, he explained, consists of bond proceeds from the high school additions and renovations project. To be conservative, Maney said, he’s only starting the CAJSHS bond account out at $1.25 million.
He has projected the capital projects fund will be $3,139,575 for the CAE for the elementary building project. However, he noted this included a $343,000 transfer from the CAJSHS bond proceeds to cover the completion of the CAE.
Maney said the district’s bond proceeds have a life and must be spent within three years of its completion of the school building projects. With the district’s capital needs, he said it’s more advantageous to use the bond proceeds up first rather than the district’s capital projects funds.
Next year, bond capital projects will include pool deck/acoustics/others ($200,000); technology units ($165,000); fitness center equipment ($30,000) and a Driver’s Education automobile ($25,000) for the CAJSHS and parking lot line painting ($22,000) at the CAE.
Other bond capital projects, Maney said, included a maintenance building ($600,000), dump truck ($58,000); a student passenger van ($35,000); stadium pool painting ($30,000); baseball/softball backstops ($20,000); track equipment ($5,000); and new band uniforms ($60,000).
Maney has projected the district’s capital fund will be $264,000. These projects, he said, included message signs at the CAJSHS and CAE ($25,000 each), as well as technology units ($165,000); library carpeting and interior painting at the CAE and track line painting ($19,000).
In 2015-16, he said the district’s capital projects will include a student passenger van ($40,000) and replacement stadium field surface ($210,000). In 2016-17, he said its capital projects will include refinishing the CAE gymnasium floor ($30,000); a pick-up truck ($40,000); and replacement stadium field surface ($180,000).
Maney said he wanted the district to start setting aside funds for future replacement of the stadium field surface. This way he said it doesn’t become a major expense for the district in eight to 10 years from now.
Maney and Jeff Kavelak, food services director, have projected the 2014-15 cafeteria budget will have revenues of $1,353,476 and expenditures of $1,540,642, resulting in an $187,000 deficit. Despite the deficit, Maney said there still isn’t any general fund contribution to the cafeteria fund.
The board will finalize its general fund and subsidiary fund budgets at its regular meeting in June.