Columbia Public Schools projected to spend $4.6 million more than it’s bringing in during the 2021-22 school year
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Columbia Public Schools held a public hearing Wednesday for its 2021-22 school year budget. Meeting documents project the district will spend nearly $4.6 million more than it will bring in.
Chief Financial Officer Heather McArthur reviewed the budget for the school year and members of the community commented after the presentation.
The district's funding showed that in total revenues with local, intermediate, state, federal and other, the district is estimated to bring in $248,404,158. The estimated total expenditures for salaries, benefits, service/supply, and transfers out is at $253,002,443 meaning the district would spend close to $4.6 million more than it is bringing in.
McArthur said the main priority of the district's funding is improving the pay of employees. "Just to step everyone on their salary schedules each year is right under $3 million," said McArthur.
Spokeswoman for the district, Michelle Baumstark, said, "the budget provides planned salary increases and maintaining benefits for employees."
Sixty percent of expenditures go toward salaries at $144,006,061 with the next highest being service and supply at $46,962,316.
Changes to the 2021-22 proposed operating budget shows a decrease in net revenue by $6.5 million and an increase in net expenditures by $16 million.
"The district plans to continue to maintain low class sizes," said Baumstark. The current average class size in CPS is 16, with a 13:1 student-teacher ratio.
McArthur also said the enrollment numbers last year were down by about 800 students, 300 of which come from the kindergarten group.
Fixed costs for the district are estimated to increase from last school year to next by $871,606 with the biggest increase coming in student transportation. The district noted that transportation expenditures were down significantly due to the COVID-19 closure in the fall of 2020.
Baumstark said the budget includes expenditures related to the completion of the addition at Rock Bridge Elementary School and renovations at Jefferson Middle School. The budget includes planned deficit spending. "We intentionally built up savings to pay for one-time costs related to the opening of new schools. The savings we're using for the intentional deficit spend to pay for one-time costs includes some savings related to COVID, such as reduced expenditures in bus transportation," said Baumstark.
Fixed costs for the district are estimated to increase from last school year to next by $871,606 with the biggest increase coming in student transportation. The district noted that transportation expenditures were down significantly due to the COVID-19 closure in the fall of 2020.
