Somers School District balances budget No extra curricular programs will be cut for 2012-13 school year

The Somers-Lakeside School District board of trustees approved a balanced budget that does not cut any school programs or sports and allows the district to maintain state accreditation standards with their class sizes.

“The two items that came to fruition were Casey Love’s retirement saved us a bunch, and tax revenue was more than expected, possibly due to protested taxes being resolved,” board member Tim Rogge said.

In May of this year the district’s general-fund levy request of $405,000 was defeated with 626 votes against it and 515 votes for it. At that time, Rogge said the levy request was a projection for what will be needed in the next three to five years.

Initial concerns among the current and previous trustees was that this could lead to cutting the school’s extra curricular programs such as fifth-grade band and middle school football and volleyball.

The final budget for the 2012-13 school year was approved unanimously by the trustees with the following totals:

• General fund: $3,281,424.90

• Transportation: $366,000

• Tuition: $119,161.32

• Retirement: $393,500

• Technology: $50,000

• Flexibility: $18,000

• The district’s debt fund was closed and transferred to the building reserve at a total of

$130,578.18.

The budget was also balanced by replacing two more experienced teachers with first-year teachers, shifting the three fifth-grade classes into only two classes, and by having Bill Bosslet cover technology at both schools.

Fetterhoff said the class sizes for fifth-grade will be large, but still meet state accreditation standards. She also said downsizing to just two classes would save the district about $30,000.

Former superintendent Casey Love stepped down from his position at the end of June and had originally planned to remain with the district as a physical education teacher while also working with the district’s computers. However, Love opted for retirement in July and the district was able to replace him with a new hire at a savings of approximately $30,000 according to Fetterhoff.

The district found additional cost savings by hiring Amanda Lunde and Kate Wilson as the districts new first-grade teachers. Fetterhoff said the previous first-grade teachers had a few years experience and opted not to return this school-year so they could stay home with their newborns.

In addition to some creative staff adjustments, the district also had luck on their side with a few of last year’s expenses.

“Gas and electricity ended up not being as much as we had budgeted on the line item for,” Fetterhoff said while presenting the 2011-12 financial statement. “It was a real light year and we saved on that. Depending on the winter, you don’t know that one.”

As of the Aug. 22 meeting the district still hadn’t hired a new band teacher. However, the next day there was a verbal agreement for a new band teacher at .6 time, or about 24 hours a week. The district’s new band teacher can’t be officially hired until the next board meeting on Sept. 18, but will be able to begin at the start of the upcoming school year on Aug. 29.