State of the District Report
July 2015
In general, when considering finances for the district during this portion of the year we typically look at revenues received and Expenditures spent. Below is a spreadsheet with actual revenues and expenditures for the major funds.
Financial Report--See attached spreadsheet
As we end another fiscal year we are progressively improving our financial condition in two or our three major funds in spite of continued revenue decreases. You will note on the attached spreadsheet that our district budgeted revenues of 12.5 million was significantly higher in accordance to the actual amount we received (11.8 million), the vast majority of that difference can be seen in the Ed fund. In the Education fund the area in which we saw a significant decrease in revenue was in our special education reimbursement. You will note we have nearly a ½ million dollar difference in budgeted and actual revenue, $433,000 of that difference is directly related to reimbursements not received for Special Education. The remainder of the difference can be seen in our grants, which we received grant funds as we use them so there is a lag in receiving those funds. As such we may have obligated funds but haven’t received the reimbursement as of yet. Secondly, there are some grants, Title II in particular, where we can carry-over funds into the next year. I budget for those funds on a yearly basis, but may not spend them and so there is a perceived shortfall and as always some of the grants are not fully funded.
As you look to the far right side of the report, you will see fund balances for FY14 and now FY15. You will note that we increased fund balances in nearly all funds with exception of the Working cash fund because we abated 2.2 million to the education fund. So, while we are seeing an increase in the Ed Fund for the FY15 school year that increase results from the working cash transfer. In reality the education fund is in deficit. In both the O/M and Transportation fund we saw substantial increases in fund balances, the O/M with a $50,000 increase and Trans. with a 200G increase. When looking at our operating funds (ed, o/m, trans, working cash) we see that our overall deficit is $916,747 for the year, with an overall budget deficit of $798,666. A year ago we ended the fiscal year with a $205G deficit and the year prior nearly a half million dollar deficit. In the last fiscal year we received many late payments from the previous year and as a result our revenue to expenditure experience looked much better than it actually was. As a final fiscal year note I can safely say our district is very aware of our expenditures as you will note on the spread sheet listed as budgeted expenditures and actual used expenditures. In all cases we spent less than budgeted.
What does the future hold? I anticipated a unbalanced budget in the upcoming year. Unfortunately, we continue to see lack of real support from our legislature and I would expect the revenue to dwindle unless there is some sort of new revenue stream at the state level. On the positive side, we should continue to increase the Transportation fund and O/M in the next fiscal year, as long as we receive payments for Transportation.
Facilities:
Other than a few minor roofing issues throughout the district, our next focus should be on the control system and HVAC at the Elementary. We have already started the process of saving H/L/S dollars to address this issue. While this probably isn’t a project for this coming year, it may be one to address in the upcoming school year. We may again call on Ameresco to evaluate the building and give us the best options for saving. The Elementary is a complicated building to deal with because it is in essence three buildings joined together with a patchwork of systems within.
Personnel/Programs: I believe we have maintained the personnel and programs that are necessary to maintain a good program here at PORTA. Over the past 10 years we have reduced through attrition and as we move forward we will be looking at staff reductions and subsequent program reductions at the High School level. Currently, we are able to maintain our programs and in some instances increase opportunities with the assistance of shared programming. As we move forward I would suggest that we continue to seek opportunities to offer programs for our students. In the future we may have to consider offering advanced courses through shared means or even working with Lincoln Land or some other institution. As our population changes we will need to evaluate all programs and make decisions as to where our taxpayer money is best spent.
Curriculum—To begin the PORTA Schools offer an outstanding program that has served our communities well over the years.
The primary focus of our district in the upcoming year will continue to be building on the Illinois State Standards and student achievement as it relates to individual student growth. It is my hope that we can develop appropriate tools to evaluate student achievement in relation to our new standards and show our community that students are improving throughout the school year. I personally, am tired of hearing our schools are not meeting the needs of students, based on high stakes testing. I believe we can show that students are making progress from year to year. With this information in our hands we can focus on community engagement and student learning.
A-C and PORTA Reorganization: We have taken steps to integrate AC students into our programs in the upcoming year. It is my hope that we see a push from those families to reconsider consolidation with AC. With a ground swell of support in the AC district a second opportunity to consolidate may have a better chance of passing.
Board Planning: We have begun the Board Planning/Goal setting process but have not completed our task. I believe we need to restart that process this fall to better guide our district in the upcoming school years. Currently, our district is undergoing many changes and we need to remain fluid and adjust to those changes as they appear. A consistent vision from our Board Leadership will enable the district to move ahead much easier.
July 2015
In general, when considering finances for the district during this portion of the year we typically look at revenues received and Expenditures spent. Below is a spreadsheet with actual revenues and expenditures for the major funds.
Financial Report--See attached spreadsheet
As we end another fiscal year we are progressively improving our financial condition in two or our three major funds in spite of continued revenue decreases. You will note on the attached spreadsheet that our district budgeted revenues of 12.5 million was significantly higher in accordance to the actual amount we received (11.8 million), the vast majority of that difference can be seen in the Ed fund. In the Education fund the area in which we saw a significant decrease in revenue was in our special education reimbursement. You will note we have nearly a ½ million dollar difference in budgeted and actual revenue, $433,000 of that difference is directly related to reimbursements not received for Special Education. The remainder of the difference can be seen in our grants, which we received grant funds as we use them so there is a lag in receiving those funds. As such we may have obligated funds but haven’t received the reimbursement as of yet. Secondly, there are some grants, Title II in particular, where we can carry-over funds into the next year. I budget for those funds on a yearly basis, but may not spend them and so there is a perceived shortfall and as always some of the grants are not fully funded.
As you look to the far right side of the report, you will see fund balances for FY14 and now FY15. You will note that we increased fund balances in nearly all funds with exception of the Working cash fund because we abated 2.2 million to the education fund. So, while we are seeing an increase in the Ed Fund for the FY15 school year that increase results from the working cash transfer. In reality the education fund is in deficit. In both the O/M and Transportation fund we saw substantial increases in fund balances, the O/M with a $50,000 increase and Trans. with a 200G increase. When looking at our operating funds (ed, o/m, trans, working cash) we see that our overall deficit is $916,747 for the year, with an overall budget deficit of $798,666. A year ago we ended the fiscal year with a $205G deficit and the year prior nearly a half million dollar deficit. In the last fiscal year we received many late payments from the previous year and as a result our revenue to expenditure experience looked much better than it actually was. As a final fiscal year note I can safely say our district is very aware of our expenditures as you will note on the spread sheet listed as budgeted expenditures and actual used expenditures. In all cases we spent less than budgeted.
What does the future hold? I anticipated a unbalanced budget in the upcoming year. Unfortunately, we continue to see lack of real support from our legislature and I would expect the revenue to dwindle unless there is some sort of new revenue stream at the state level. On the positive side, we should continue to increase the Transportation fund and O/M in the next fiscal year, as long as we receive payments for Transportation.
Facilities:
Other than a few minor roofing issues throughout the district, our next focus should be on the control system and HVAC at the Elementary. We have already started the process of saving H/L/S dollars to address this issue. While this probably isn’t a project for this coming year, it may be one to address in the upcoming school year. We may again call on Ameresco to evaluate the building and give us the best options for saving. The Elementary is a complicated building to deal with because it is in essence three buildings joined together with a patchwork of systems within.
Personnel/Programs: I believe we have maintained the personnel and programs that are necessary to maintain a good program here at PORTA. Over the past 10 years we have reduced through attrition and as we move forward we will be looking at staff reductions and subsequent program reductions at the High School level. Currently, we are able to maintain our programs and in some instances increase opportunities with the assistance of shared programming. As we move forward I would suggest that we continue to seek opportunities to offer programs for our students. In the future we may have to consider offering advanced courses through shared means or even working with Lincoln Land or some other institution. As our population changes we will need to evaluate all programs and make decisions as to where our taxpayer money is best spent.
Curriculum—To begin the PORTA Schools offer an outstanding program that has served our communities well over the years.
The primary focus of our district in the upcoming year will continue to be building on the Illinois State Standards and student achievement as it relates to individual student growth. It is my hope that we can develop appropriate tools to evaluate student achievement in relation to our new standards and show our community that students are improving throughout the school year. I personally, am tired of hearing our schools are not meeting the needs of students, based on high stakes testing. I believe we can show that students are making progress from year to year. With this information in our hands we can focus on community engagement and student learning.
A-C and PORTA Reorganization: We have taken steps to integrate AC students into our programs in the upcoming year. It is my hope that we see a push from those families to reconsider consolidation with AC. With a ground swell of support in the AC district a second opportunity to consolidate may have a better chance of passing.
Board Planning: We have begun the Board Planning/Goal setting process but have not completed our task. I believe we need to restart that process this fall to better guide our district in the upcoming school years. Currently, our district is undergoing many changes and we need to remain fluid and adjust to those changes as they appear. A consistent vision from our Board Leadership will enable the district to move ahead much easier.