Community meetings deal with district budget

Although not an easy feat, the Brush School District found a way to trim $550,000 from its budget this year, but if funding sources do not increase or the proposed Mill Levy Override (MLO) does not pass, administration and the Board of Education (BOE), will need to cut another $400,000 from its existing budget. Two community meetings regarding the budget have been held with another scheduled for September 16 at Beaver Valley Elementary and the final one to be held October 7 at Brush High School. Both begin at 6 p.m. and feature information on the budget, revenue, the impact on the district, along with revenue misconceptions, impact of the recession, 2014-15 budget reductions including the district office and changes, expense increases and future reductions that could be required without additional funding. "At Brush, we're always constantly budgeting it seems," Aaron Oberg, School Business Officer commented. "We're always looking at the best ways to spend the community's money." A bulk of revenue for the school district comes from local property taxes ($5,418,840), with additional sources to include vehicle registration (ownership) taxes ($548,471) and the State of Colorado ($4,567.990), totaling $10,535,301 in total statutory revenue. In comparing Per Pupil Funding, Oberg explained that the district received $6,818 per student in the 2007-08 school year, with that rising to $7,361 in 2009-2010. Due to the recession, the district took a hit the next year, falling to $6,683 per pupil in 2010-11. That number dipped again in 2011-12 to $6,593, but has been increasing slightly year over year. Funding for 2014-15 stands at $7,093, which is where it should have been in 2008-09 Oberg stated. If the district had been fully funded throughout the years, the 2014-15 rate would have been $8,191 per pupil. Total revenue lost over a five-year period of time for the Brush School District, he added, is $7.8 million. As for misconceptions, Oberg explained that any increase in property taxes during the year results in an equal, offsetting decrease in the state's share of revenue. As to the district benefitting from marijuana excise or sales tax revenue, he said that local governments will receive 15 percent of the 10 percent retail marijuana sales tax, while the remainder is mixed with other state sales tax revenue. Additionally, Building Excellent Schools Today (BEST) receives the first $40 million of the 15 percent excise tax and will be available to all school distrust based on a competitive grant process. The current estimate for excise taxes, said Oberg, is $10 million and not the $40 million that has been publicized. "Ten million in the marijuana excise tax would be available to all 178 school districts," he commented. Reductions for this school year included re-organizing the bus town route for a savings of $20,000, eliminating a Dean of Students position at $29,800, cutting $15,000 in maintenance, reducing calendar days by three for a total of $90,000, cutting $25,000 in athletics from the middle and high schools, eliminating the woodshop position for $38,055, two secretaries for $49,000, aligning secretarial contracts for $32,000, eliminating $12,500 in copier overage, along with a reduction in the Centennial BOCES contract for $82,673. Administration re-organization saved the district another $88,000, with reductions and changes at the district office saving $150,000 per year, he explained. "We had to cut into a lot of programs to come up with that $550,000, but these are all in place today," Oberg noted. The district has no control over expenses, he continued, explaining the statutory requirement increase for PERA is five percent. Employer paid insurance remains unchanged, however, a future increase of five percent is expected, he added. Additional increases will be seen in fuel, although that is partially offset by the reduction of the town route, as well as in vehicle, property and workers' compensation insurances, listed between two and 8.5 percent annually. "There are expenses that are increasing even if we tried to stay status quothese expenses are going to happen regardless of what we are going to try and do," Oberg commented. Without additional funding, and to reach the $400,000 in cuts for the 2015-16 school year, the district could realize reductions in the elementary and middle school art and music programs, eliminate counselor positions, increase class sizes, move to a shorter school week and further reduce the length of the school year. Members of the District Accountability Committee will begin discussing the savings by moving to a four-day school week for next year during their meeting this week. Good news for the district is that the State Board of Education approved a BEST grant, which is being used to replace boilers at both Brush Middle and High Schools. BEST will provide $471,863.70, with the district to contribute 34 percent or $242,081.30 for the projects scheduled for the summer of 2015. The district's share of this will come from the general fund. Maintenance that has been deferred due to funding are HVAC units at Beaver Valley, the middle and high schools, floor tile asbestos abatement at the middle and high schools, additional boiler replacements, crack filling and seal coating all parking lots and replacement of a roof and aging machinery at Brush Middle School. When asked if there was a possibility of bringing back the town route, Superintendent of Schools Dr. Michelle Johnstone said, "If an MLO passes, that could happen by mid-year," adding, "But it's a board decision." Another attendee brought up their concern of removing $25,000 from the athletic program, along with reducing the music and art program. "This year is that experimental year as athletics is about $100,000 out of the district budget," Dr. Johnstone said, further explaining it allows the district to explore the possibility if athletics could be self-sustaining. The district currently spends an estimated $200,000, including benefits, for the music and art programs, she added. "We have trimmed all the fat and meat, now we're cutting bone and it's going to impact teachers and salaries," said BOE Vice President Warren Walker. "Seventy-seven percent of our budget is salarywe have to have the other 23 percent to operate for fuel, electricity, etc. It's getting tough to do this."

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Community meetings deal with district budget