SIDNEY — The five-year forecast for Sidney City Schools was approved Monday night by the Board of Education. The forecast is for fiscal year 2019 through fiscal year 2023.
“We are in a cycle that all schools go through where the revenues don’t keep up with the expenditures,” said Treasurer Mike Watkins. “Because our (tax levy) renewal is in place (on the ballot), the dollars from the levy are not in the forecast.”
Watkins said the revenues are flat for the district meaning there is now growth in property taxes and there’s declining enrollment.
At the end of fiscal year 2019, the carryover balance is estimated at $18,984,609. By 2023, the carryover balance is predicted to be in the red at a negative $11,692,029.
In his summary presented to the board, Watkins said that the passage of the emergency levy on Nov.6 is vital to the school district. The renewal of the levy is critical as the expenditures begin to outpace revenues.
The district is beginning the process to determine how to delay the outpacing of expenditures compared to the district’s revenues, he said.
“The first critical thing is to pass the renewal,” said Watkins.
“The second critical thing is to do some adjustments,” said Board President Bob Smith. “The third thing is to do something to fix the long term problem.”
And fixing the long term problem, said Watkins, will be — in the near future — to ask the district’s voters to support new tax monies.
At the end of fiscal year 2019, the district’s revenue is forecast at $37,324,991. By the end of fiscal year 2023, revenue is forecast at $30,973,320.
Total expenditures for fiscal year 2019 are forecast at 37,664,991. By the end of fiscal year 2023, total expenditures are forecast at 46,421,185.
The carryover balances for each of the five years in the forecast are $18,984,608 for fiscal year 2019; $14,674,624 for fiscal year 2020; $7,974,814 for fiscal year 2021; negative $839,977 for fiscal year 2022; and negative $11,692,029 for fiscal year 2023.
In other business, the board:
• Had the first reading for new/revised policies for the district.
• Authorized the purchase of competitive retail natural gas service from the lowest responsible bid submitted to Southwestern Educational Purchasing Council for the period of July 2020 through June 2025.
• Approved a resolution of urgent necessity to have the mechanics of doors at Sidney High School repaired. The doors are operated with a fob and don’t always open correctly. The cost to repair the doors is estimated at $70,000.
• Approved an agreement with Emerald Data Solutions Inc. for board management service, BoardDocs, at a cost of $11,600 for the first year. The service will start with the January board meetings.
• Approved the retirement resignation of Sherri Roe, bus driver, effective Feb. 28, 2019. She has been with the district for 30 years.
• Employed Ina Howard as a substitute teacher at a rate of $90 per day.
• Employed Bridget Steed as a home instruction tutor on a one-year, as-needed contract at $26.89 per hour.
• Employed Becky Strunk as a cook on a one-year contract at $11.18 per hour.
• Employed Leah Brynum as a substitute custodian, $14 per hour, and as a substitute cook, $10.06 per hour; Cara Stockton as a substitute cook, $10.06 per hour; and Marcella Zircher, substitute aide, $11.68 per hour, and substitute cook, $10.06 per hour.
• Employed Kerri Adkins as head softball coach at $3,869.
• Approved a pay increase in the substitute bus driver rate from $16.08 per hour to $17 per hour.
The board’s next meeting will be Monday, Nov. 5, at 6 p.m. at the board office.
