The Three Rivers Community Schools Board of Education has adopted a General Fund Budget for the fiscal year that begins July 1st.
The action came during a meeting Monday evening (June 20th) and followed a public hearing in which budget information was presented. No citizens commented on the budget during the hearing.
The proposed General Fund Budget for the upcoming fiscal year projects total revenues of $22,259,054, a decrease of just over $1.5 million in revenues in the final budget for the current year. Expenditures for the new fiscal year are pegged at $23,133,739, down by $788,000 from spending for the current year.
The budget anticipates a revenue shortfall of $874,685 and is based on 25 fewer students, reflecting the student county in February.
During the meeting – and in a post-meeting interview with the River Country Journal – Superintendent Roger Rathburn characterized the budget as “more of a draft” because there are already significant changes resulting from a new, one-year contract with teachers that was ratified recently by them and by the board Monday evening. (Roger_Rathburn_clip_budget – :43)
Rathburn said it was difficult assembling the budget this year as school officials awaited information about cuts in revenue from the state, health insurance costs, retirement costs, and the impact of labor agreements.
In adopting a resolution for the General Fund Budget, the board also set the following tax levies:
- 17.7242 mills of Ad Valorem property tax on all non-homestead and non-qualified agricultural property
- 1.18 mills for the 2004 debt
- .7 mills for the 2007 bond refunding
- 4.52 mills for the 2008 bond refunding.
Rathburn said, “Three Rivers is very fortunate that we’ve been fiscally responsible over the years. We have built up a sizeable fund equity so we’re better equipped to weather the storm, more so than many of the other school districts.”
To view the resolution adopted by the board for the General Fund Budget, click here.
To hear the full budget interview with Roger Rathurn, conducted by Bruce Snook of the River Country Journal, click on the following link: Roger_Rathburn_interview – budget (5:39 – 5.18 MB).
