MONROE - Final numbers are in for the Monroe School District's 2007-2008 budget and they look good - about $2.2 million to the good.
The first part of the equation is more money came into school coffers than expected. About $321,000 additional dollars came in for Fund 10, the general school fund, said Ron Olson, business manager for the district.
Olson said the increase came primarily from open enrollment revenues. Each year, districts must estimate the number it expects to gain, and lose, for budget purposes. If students don't stay enrolled, aid money is prorated and must be returned. Monroe budgeted its open enrollment conservatively, and because it had more students who stayed in the program longer, it was able to log some black ink.
The district also received two years of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse grant dollars in one year, accounting for some of the increased dollars, he said.
The district was also able to slash expenses. Olson praised staff throughout the district for being very aware of budget concerns and helping bring expenditures in about 6.5 percent under budget, surpassing the district's goal of coming in 2 to 5 percent under budget on the expense side. In actual dollars, that accounted for almost $1.9 million saved.
More than $200,000 of that money not spent was from individual school budgets. An additional $600,000 was in savings in special education and the virtual school.
That total is also considerably more than the $800,000 Olson projected in May the district would be under budget. At that time, he was waiting for final numbers for the virtual school and special education figures to come in.
The first part of the equation is more money came into school coffers than expected. About $321,000 additional dollars came in for Fund 10, the general school fund, said Ron Olson, business manager for the district.
Olson said the increase came primarily from open enrollment revenues. Each year, districts must estimate the number it expects to gain, and lose, for budget purposes. If students don't stay enrolled, aid money is prorated and must be returned. Monroe budgeted its open enrollment conservatively, and because it had more students who stayed in the program longer, it was able to log some black ink.
The district also received two years of Alcohol and Other Drug Abuse grant dollars in one year, accounting for some of the increased dollars, he said.
The district was also able to slash expenses. Olson praised staff throughout the district for being very aware of budget concerns and helping bring expenditures in about 6.5 percent under budget, surpassing the district's goal of coming in 2 to 5 percent under budget on the expense side. In actual dollars, that accounted for almost $1.9 million saved.
More than $200,000 of that money not spent was from individual school budgets. An additional $600,000 was in savings in special education and the virtual school.
That total is also considerably more than the $800,000 Olson projected in May the district would be under budget. At that time, he was waiting for final numbers for the virtual school and special education figures to come in.