Schools

Plum School District Officials Are Pleased with Status of Preliminary Budget

If all works out as planned, the school board is expected to pass a final $53.1 million budget later this month without a real estate tax increase.

Plum School District residents shouldn't expect a real-estate tax increase this year, but officials say they're going to have to continue to keep a close eye on the budget this year and in future years.

At this week's board meeting, district business manager Eugene Marraccini said officials have been able to reduce a $3.2 million shortfall to one of about $300,000.

However, Marraccini said there still are some factors that haven't been included in the budget yet, such as fuel costs and costs associated with possible retirement replacements.

Officials also are hoping to receive about $800,000 in basic education subsidy and accountability block grant money if a bill in the state Legislature that would restore funding to districts is passed.

If it isn't, the district will have to deal with a deficit of almost $1 million.

Marraccini said budget savings were realized through salary reductions due to staff attrition, retirement (23 teachers are retiring) and changes in hours; no increase in healthcare premiums; reductions in contracted services; reductions in the facilities department; and equipment reductions in the student transportation and technology departments.

The district typically replaces four buses each year, but that's not included in the budget.

"We used almost every trick that we have," Marraccini said.

School bored member Andy Drake said that while the budget is in tight, but good shape this year, a time will come when the board can't make any more cuts.

"We just can't cut anymore," he said. "I don't know that we can go another year without buying new school buses. At some point in time, we're going to have to buy buses, electricity is going to go up, natural gas is going to go up—some things are just going to go up."

Drake said the board must begin strategizing for next year's budget as early as July.

"We have a very challenging year ahead of us," he said. "We've pulled a lot of rabbits out of the hat, and that hat is empty."

Board member Sal Colella said he's happy with this year's result.

"I think this is the first time that I can actually say this is a constructive budget for the school district," he said. "This is realistic."


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