MONROE - The Monroe School District is wrapping up the year about $800,000 under budget, an encouraging turnaround after some serious budget concerns a few years ago.
The goal is to come in about 2 percent under budget each year, and the district manages its budget to try to meet that goal, explained Ron Olson, district business manager. For the district's budget of about $29 million this year, that would be between $500,000 and $600,000. Monroe already had hit that savings mark in December, and budget projections have only continued to improve since that time.
Snow removal was perhaps the most notable budget overage this year. Heavy snowfalls this winter forced the district to pay about $30,000 more than it anticipated for snow removal, Olson said. However, those costs were offset by savings in other areas.
The largest savings was about $450,000 from within buildings. This savings came from maintenance, heating costs and from individual teacher budgets. While fuel costs rose dramatically this year, the district had planned for those increases and pre-purchased fuel to maximize savings.
Staff across the district have been careful to watch the dollars they spend, Olson said. It was not so much an administrative mandate as an understanding of where the district is trying to get, he said.
"Based on history and past issues, there is a real understanding" of the need to watch the budget, Olson said. "The staff all knows and understands ... and are voluntarily taking a good hard look" at their expenditures.
That means even at the classroom level teachers are looking at what they spend. If a teacher has a budget of $1,000 for supplies, for example, but only spends $800, it makes a difference.
"Every one of those $200 adds up," Olson said.
The district saved an additional $80,000 to $100,000 on employee and retirement benefits, and about $50,000 on phone and communication costs through the federal E-Rate program that provides a discount to schools and libraries.
It's a dramatically different picture than a few years ago. The district had a deficit of nearly $2 million for the 2004-05 school year, prompting some significant staff and program cuts in the district. The following school year, 2005-2006, saw a deficit of about $520,000. Olson joined the district in the summer of 2006.
To avoid more program and staff cuts, the district went to referendum. Last April, voters approved a non-recurring referendum that allowed the district to exceed state-imposed spending limits by $1.35 million for this school year; $1.5 million for 2008-09; $2.3 million for 2009-10; and $3.2 million for 2010-11.
The district was able to get come in about $1 million under budget last year, but Olson said that isn't really a result of passing the referendum. The referendum "dealt with us not having to make additional serious cuts. Without the referendum, we would have a lot fewer programs."
Coming in under budget is a reflection of how money was managed, he added.
There could be some changes before final numbers for the year are in, Olson said. Final figures for the virtual school's revenues and expenses, as well as revenues and expenses for special education are still to come in. But he expects the district to stay on course: "Both programs are looking pretty good," he said.
"It's been a team effort getting us to this point," Olson said. "We have to have the mindset that just because dollars are budgeted, they don't have to be spent."
The goal is to come in about 2 percent under budget each year, and the district manages its budget to try to meet that goal, explained Ron Olson, district business manager. For the district's budget of about $29 million this year, that would be between $500,000 and $600,000. Monroe already had hit that savings mark in December, and budget projections have only continued to improve since that time.
Snow removal was perhaps the most notable budget overage this year. Heavy snowfalls this winter forced the district to pay about $30,000 more than it anticipated for snow removal, Olson said. However, those costs were offset by savings in other areas.
The largest savings was about $450,000 from within buildings. This savings came from maintenance, heating costs and from individual teacher budgets. While fuel costs rose dramatically this year, the district had planned for those increases and pre-purchased fuel to maximize savings.
Staff across the district have been careful to watch the dollars they spend, Olson said. It was not so much an administrative mandate as an understanding of where the district is trying to get, he said.
"Based on history and past issues, there is a real understanding" of the need to watch the budget, Olson said. "The staff all knows and understands ... and are voluntarily taking a good hard look" at their expenditures.
That means even at the classroom level teachers are looking at what they spend. If a teacher has a budget of $1,000 for supplies, for example, but only spends $800, it makes a difference.
"Every one of those $200 adds up," Olson said.
The district saved an additional $80,000 to $100,000 on employee and retirement benefits, and about $50,000 on phone and communication costs through the federal E-Rate program that provides a discount to schools and libraries.
It's a dramatically different picture than a few years ago. The district had a deficit of nearly $2 million for the 2004-05 school year, prompting some significant staff and program cuts in the district. The following school year, 2005-2006, saw a deficit of about $520,000. Olson joined the district in the summer of 2006.
To avoid more program and staff cuts, the district went to referendum. Last April, voters approved a non-recurring referendum that allowed the district to exceed state-imposed spending limits by $1.35 million for this school year; $1.5 million for 2008-09; $2.3 million for 2009-10; and $3.2 million for 2010-11.
The district was able to get come in about $1 million under budget last year, but Olson said that isn't really a result of passing the referendum. The referendum "dealt with us not having to make additional serious cuts. Without the referendum, we would have a lot fewer programs."
Coming in under budget is a reflection of how money was managed, he added.
There could be some changes before final numbers for the year are in, Olson said. Final figures for the virtual school's revenues and expenses, as well as revenues and expenses for special education are still to come in. But he expects the district to stay on course: "Both programs are looking pretty good," he said.
"It's been a team effort getting us to this point," Olson said. "We have to have the mindset that just because dollars are budgeted, they don't have to be spent."