At a special meeting Monday morning, the Trenton R-9 Board of Education financially closed-out the fiscal year that ends Thursday June 30th; and adopted a new budget for the fiscal year that begins Friday, July 1st. School officials and board members anticipated both the current and future budgets to have deficit spending due to capital projects being funded.
A motion was approved to transfer over 778 thousand dollars from the school district incidental fund to the teachers fund. This allows the district to zero out the teachers’ fund as is required of every school district to comply with Missouri law.
Trenton School Superintendent Dan Wiebers said revenues came in approximately 200 thousand dollars less than anticipated for the 2015-16 year. On the expense side of the ledger, Wiebers noted costs were reduced by almost 100 thousand dollars during that same one year period. Wiebers told about the deficit spending:
Wiebers noted the school district fund balance of nearly 33 percent is still a healthy figure to have in reserve – thanks to efforts of past and current school board members and administrators. He then listed the numbers for new budget for the 2016-17 year which is a total of all four school district fund categories:
The numbers on projected expenses and anticipated revenues are the same as presented to the board of education at its monthly meeting two weeks ago – thus the possible deficit of approximately 432 thousand dollars for July through June 2017.
The school district prepares budgets year by year, but officials also look to a long range picture in terms of student enrollment and the teaching staff required.
Wiebers was asked by John Anthony to comment on Trenton R-9 cutting three certified positions for the school year that begins in August. Those are assistant high school principal, a high school science teacher, and an elementary classroom teacher:
Also at the Monday morning meeting, the R-9 board heard – but took no action – on a request for the school district to commit some funds for economic development purposes. Wiebers said Trenton Economic Development Director Ralph Boots had requested time before the board of education:
The R-9 board DID approve policy updates as recommended by the Missouri School Boards Association. All votes taken by the Board of education were unanimously approved. Board Member Cliff Roeder was absent for today’s meeting.
