In their first look at the proposed general fund budget for the
2007-08 school year, Morgan Hill Unified School District trustees
learned Tuesday night that they could have $1.3 million in
undesignated funds for the school year.
Morgan Hill – In their first look at the proposed general fund budget for the 2007-08 school year, Morgan Hill Unified School District trustees learned Tuesday night that they could have $1.3 million in undesignated funds for the school year.
Deputy Superintendent Bonnie Tognazzini told trustees the $68 million budget included assumptions based on Gov. Schwarzenegger’s May revised state budget.
The assumptions include a Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) of 4.53 percent, which is an increase of $252 per Average Daily Attendance unit, plus an increase in funding for K-3 class-size reduction incentives of $47 for a full day if classrooms are kept uncrowded.
The proposed general-fund budget includes step and column salary increases for staff members that qualify, and the salaries of staff hired for less than a full year in 2006-07 are increased to reflect a full year of earning.
Trustee Bart Fisher, who is going through the budget process for the first time as an elected official, said he thought Tognazzini and her staff clearly explained the proposed general fund.
“They made clear what is currently going on with us and they reinforced the message that this is a maintenance budget,” he said Thursday. “It was also clear that they have been pretty prudent, that we don’t count on any funds until we see them, that we are basically relying on the state of California and the federal government for our monies, and our income isn’t given to us when we need it in order to prepare our budgets … It looks like we’re in pretty good shape, we have a million or so unallocated to come up with some ideas for. It’s not like the future looks especially rosy for us, but at least it doesn’t appear that we’re headed back into the cut mode in the immediate future.”
School Board President Peter Mandel said Thursday the trustees will be having discussions in the future about the small amount of funds left over after expenses come out of revenues.
“At the bottom line, the state is offering us a maintenance budget with very little growth to allow us to make significant changes in the fiscal direction of the district,” he said.
Trustees could vote to adopt the district budget for next year at their meeting on June 26.
