The Appoquinimink Board of Education approved a preliminary fiscal year 2011 budget at its July 13 meeting, but not before discussion arose about the fact that the budget is not balanced this year.
Chuck Longfellow, finance director for the district, said he anticipates the district will have to tap into its reserves this year to make up for a $1.5 million deficit in the operation budget due to cuts in federal stimulus and state funding.
He said the budget includes a total of $146,073,518 in revenue and a total of $148,222,195 in expenditures.
Longfellow said the district received $2.7 million last year in state fiscal stabilization funds to backfill state funding that had been cut. This year, the district only received $1.3 million to replace what was funded last year.
He said because of the cut, the district will have to reduce support for technology block grant and limited English proficiency programs and use local funds to pay for substitutes and behavioral interventionists.
Longfellow said the state also cut support for math and reading specialists, which will also be funded locally.
“It’s a tough year,” he said. “We have to close the gap by tightening our belts through natural growth and utilizing our units.”
Superintendent Dr. Tony Marchio said the reduction of the stimulus funds caught district officials off guard because they were under the impression they would receive approximately the same amount for two years.
“We should have been given what we were given in year one,” Marchio said. “I think we were robbed of it. So we had a choice to eliminate programs or try to continue to offer services we think children should have with the resources we have available.”
President Joanne Christian said she was concerned that nearly 30 percent of the district’s reserves will be used to account for personnel funding.
“It’s important to look at how we’re utilizing what’s already in place before bringing in specialists that we’re paying totally at the local dollar,” she said.
Marchio said the district is committed to providing each student the resources they need to succeed.
“We’re reducing our reserves, but we’re fortunate to have those reserves available,” he said. “That money is there to spend on programs we think are critical for the students.”
Christian said she understands the importance of the positions, but remains unsure that it is the right thing to do financially.
“I know these are very valuable positions,” she said, “but is it something we can afford?”
Longfellow said the district can afford to fund the programs this year, but that won’t be the case for next year’s budget.
“If this number stays the same next year, there’s no sugarcoating it. We would be heading in a bad direction,” he said. “We have to close the gap. We won’t survive if we don’t”
Longfellow said he will present the final budget to the Board for approval in January.
Board officers
During the meeting, the board elected a new board president and vice president to fill a one-year term.
The board elected Joanne Christian as the new president and Julie Johnson as the new vice president filling seats formerly held by Edna Cale and Donna Kimmey.
Cale thanked the district’s administrators, staff and constituents for their support over the last year.
“It has been a joy for me to serve as your president,” she said.
