School Board budget to decide on its ‘standstill’ budget

The St. Landry Parish School Board is to decide Thursday on a $144 million budget for the 2015-16 budget year.
The budget is described as “standstill” by Tressa Miller, finance director.
“This is pretty much a balanced budget ...,” she said at a special board meeting Monday where she led board members line-by-line through the financial details.
At the end of the meeting, Miller earned praise from board members.
“I want you to know I support you in the job that you have done because I know where we’ve come from, what we used to have,” board member Raymond Cassimere said.
The school system teetered on the edge of financial collapse only a few years ago.
The board is scheduled to meet at 4 p.m. today in the Supplementary Resource Center, 1013 Creswell Lane, Opelousas.
The budget projects conservatively on revenues, Miller said.
In a budget summary, Miller and Superintendent Edward Brown noted the School Board employs about 2,000 people. Revenues are budgeted at $139 million and expenditures at $144 million.
The budget states a beginning fund balance of $19.6 million and an ending balance of $23.6 million.
The School Board budget year is July through June.
The budget includes $38 million in local revenue; $81 million in state revenue; and $20 million from federal sources.
Changes highlighted in the budget presentation are:
— Decrease in property taxes of $650,000 due to a one-time settlement received in 2014-15.
— Decrease in Medicaid reimbursement of $250,000 due to one-time payment of prior year nursing claim due.
— Decrease in Workers Compensation reimbursement of $450,000 due to one-time payment of prior year claim due.
— Increase in Minimum Foundation Program of $300,000. Additional MFP granted, but additional students expected to enroll at surrounding charter schools.
— Decrease in state revenues of $220,000 because racino budget decreased for 2015-16.
— Additional performance stipends expected to cost $90,000.
— Hiring of 17 additional teachers (filling prior year shortage/replacement of subs) costing $680,000 and $273,000 in benefits.
— New textbook adoption increase of $200,000.
— Increase in health insurance premiums, $1,760,000.
— Decrease in retirement contributions, $1,100,000.
— Hiring of 16 special education aides (new positions needed/replacement of subs), $241,000 plus $147,000 in benefits.
— Increase principals from 11 month to 12 month, $69,000 plus $19,000 in benefits.
— Decrease in school administration purchased services of $63,000 - Spyglass.
— Increase of $100,000 in phone expense because of a decrease in E-rate funding.
— Hiring of 17 of the permanent sub bus drivers cost $191,000 + $95,000 in benefits ($286,000).
— Bus maintenance service of $449,328 replaced repairs and maintenance expense.
— Bought five new buses, annual payment of $84,000.
— Erate wireless project increase of $180,000 (School Board’s 15 percent), Erate covered 85 percent of the cost.
— Decrease Employee Compensation Benefit Fund transfer to General Fund by $830,000 - one-time transfer per 2014-15 budget to offset increases in retirement and health insurance.
Also on the agenda today is an item to give a $650 stipend for performance achievement based on a evaluation system for teachers and school leaders. Only those evaluated as Highly Effective and Effective would receive the stipend. The other evaluations are Proficient, Emerging and Ineffective.