MONROE - With an increasing budget deficit, a shrinking fund balance and grim prospects for state funding, the Monroe school board decided Monday to delay resurfacing the high school track, which was slated for this summer.
According to Tom Rufenacht, the district's building and grounds director, the project has already been delayed for about three years, considering the track was put down in 2000 and the rubber surface should be replaced after 10 to 12 years.
"Eventually we have to spend the money to get it done," he said.
Now hitting its 15th year, the rubber is no longer well adhered to the asphalt surface beneath it, Rufenacht said. Water works its way under the rubber, causing it to bubble up during the winter.
With the ground thawed, the track should be safe to use since there's no moisture left to cause bubbles, Rufenacht said, though the rubber is still worn down in spots.
"In some spots where it is starting to wear through, you never know when that one step is going to come that will then rip a chunk of it out," added Business Administrator Ron Olson.
But budget concerns weigh on the school board. The track project was budgeted for $75,000 this year in the long-term maintenance fund.
Olson estimates the district will have a $1.45 million deficit next year with the current state budget proposal, but that could change. The fund balance will reach about $5.3 million at the end of this year, and Olson says the district shouldn't go any lower than $4 million.
"I don't know what the state's going to do," Olson said. "I think there may be a good chance that we're going to have this number ($1.45 million deficit) down to a million or maybe $1.2 million if the state doesn't do much."
Board member Brian Keith said he appreciated having this conversation now.
"At some point, we can't continue to eat into our fund balance. So we need to figure out do we try to be proactive this year for next year's budget and reduce that amount (the deficit). If so, that means we have to start making tough cuts," Keith said. "Hopefully we'll get everybody here on the same page that - OK, we're done using our fund balance here in the next year or year and a half, two years, depending on what it does."
Other board members expressed concern about what might happen to the track if the project is delayed. Member Bob Erb said he's more inclined to hold off on the track, but "what happens if a referendum doesn't go through" next spring?
"You don't have a track," said member Michael Boehme. "Can't have kids running on an unsafe track."
That brought up further questions of the impact of potentially not having a track, such as losing students - and thus funds - who might choose to change school districts in favor of one with a track.
When the district is able to pick the project up again, it will be able to use some of the work that has already been done, such as bid specs, but "there is going to be additional costs that will come into play," Olson said. About $13,500 has already been spent on the project, and he estimated the extra costs would be roughly $5,000.
Rufenacht estimated a 5- to 7-percent increase in project costs on top of the $5,000, if the project is done during the summer of 2017.
The board declined to make a motion on the track project, effectively denying it for this year. Members did approve the planned project to resurface the Monroe High School gym floor for $15,400 from the long-term maintenance fund.
Along with putting off the track maintenance project, the school district is reducing its summer custodial staff from about 23 to 10, which will save about $50,000, Olson said. They are temporary summer staff positions.
"That means we won't have as thorough of a cleaning as we had in previous summers ... but that's just reality," Olson told the board.
Also during the meeting, the board adopted a budget resolution to send to state legislators, as well as a community letter to explain the current budget issues to the surrounding community.
The letter and resolution will be mailed out next week, said District Administrator Cory Hirsbrunner.
According to Tom Rufenacht, the district's building and grounds director, the project has already been delayed for about three years, considering the track was put down in 2000 and the rubber surface should be replaced after 10 to 12 years.
"Eventually we have to spend the money to get it done," he said.
Now hitting its 15th year, the rubber is no longer well adhered to the asphalt surface beneath it, Rufenacht said. Water works its way under the rubber, causing it to bubble up during the winter.
With the ground thawed, the track should be safe to use since there's no moisture left to cause bubbles, Rufenacht said, though the rubber is still worn down in spots.
"In some spots where it is starting to wear through, you never know when that one step is going to come that will then rip a chunk of it out," added Business Administrator Ron Olson.
But budget concerns weigh on the school board. The track project was budgeted for $75,000 this year in the long-term maintenance fund.
Olson estimates the district will have a $1.45 million deficit next year with the current state budget proposal, but that could change. The fund balance will reach about $5.3 million at the end of this year, and Olson says the district shouldn't go any lower than $4 million.
"I don't know what the state's going to do," Olson said. "I think there may be a good chance that we're going to have this number ($1.45 million deficit) down to a million or maybe $1.2 million if the state doesn't do much."
Board member Brian Keith said he appreciated having this conversation now.
"At some point, we can't continue to eat into our fund balance. So we need to figure out do we try to be proactive this year for next year's budget and reduce that amount (the deficit). If so, that means we have to start making tough cuts," Keith said. "Hopefully we'll get everybody here on the same page that - OK, we're done using our fund balance here in the next year or year and a half, two years, depending on what it does."
Other board members expressed concern about what might happen to the track if the project is delayed. Member Bob Erb said he's more inclined to hold off on the track, but "what happens if a referendum doesn't go through" next spring?
"You don't have a track," said member Michael Boehme. "Can't have kids running on an unsafe track."
That brought up further questions of the impact of potentially not having a track, such as losing students - and thus funds - who might choose to change school districts in favor of one with a track.
When the district is able to pick the project up again, it will be able to use some of the work that has already been done, such as bid specs, but "there is going to be additional costs that will come into play," Olson said. About $13,500 has already been spent on the project, and he estimated the extra costs would be roughly $5,000.
Rufenacht estimated a 5- to 7-percent increase in project costs on top of the $5,000, if the project is done during the summer of 2017.
The board declined to make a motion on the track project, effectively denying it for this year. Members did approve the planned project to resurface the Monroe High School gym floor for $15,400 from the long-term maintenance fund.
Along with putting off the track maintenance project, the school district is reducing its summer custodial staff from about 23 to 10, which will save about $50,000, Olson said. They are temporary summer staff positions.
"That means we won't have as thorough of a cleaning as we had in previous summers ... but that's just reality," Olson told the board.
Also during the meeting, the board adopted a budget resolution to send to state legislators, as well as a community letter to explain the current budget issues to the surrounding community.
The letter and resolution will be mailed out next week, said District Administrator Cory Hirsbrunner.