School board hears budget cut proposals

The full school board, along with many school employees and citizens, learned about proposed budget cuts for next year during a work session Thursday night at the Administration/Curriculum/Technology Center.

The cuts are necessary, explained district business manager Kim Sheets, because the district ended the last two years with negative unspent authorized budget balances and projections show that will continue unless something is done.

The spending authority is the amount a school district can spend per student from the General Fund as set by the Iowa Legislature. If a district overspends its authorized budget three consecutive years, the Iowa Department of Education will make financial decisions for the district, and the district must follow those decisions.

In December, the district began a process to reduce its expenditures by $800,000 for the 2011-12 school year followed by a request from the school board?s financial committee for administrators to find another $300,000 worth of cuts.

Each administrator presented a list of proposed cuts from his or her school or department.

To see the full story, read the Jan. 28, 2011, printed edition of The Fairfield Ledger.