Hamilton approves budget with plans to cut spending

Hamilton School District's $5 million budget was approved by the five school board members present Wednesday only because the state deadline to submit school district budgets is Sept. 30.

“I really didn't want to see a budget like this,” said board member Mark Menn. “I recommend we adopt it tonight, then form a finance committee and go through this budget line by line with (Superintendent Dr. Jim) Mr. Jackson.”

Board president Doug Summers said having a deficit budget is a challenge.

“We'll need to challenge those people responsible for budget spending to come in under budget,” said Summers. “It's fair for the board to ask where and why money is being spent.

“We have working cash to cover the deficit, and this will not deplete our cash, but if we keep on this way for two or three years, we could deplete our reserves.”

Jackson said the district is not in crisis.

“We have a $200,000 to $250,000 deficit in this budget,” said Jackson. “What a finance committee could try to do is find places to cut back.

“We're not against the wall. I agree with Mr. Menn that two or three board members and I and our bookkeeper can go through line by line and see where we can cut back without hurting any programs. That's just common sense. I appreciate Mr. Menn and others willing to volunteer.”

Menn said one reason spending was up last year is that the district had to spend money on new textbooks and curriculum.

“We lost $130,000 in our education fund in hold harmless funding from the state,” he said. “We need to look at going with the state foundation level or going back on hold harmless.”

Hold harmless money is financial aid the State of Illinois has been sending to small, rural school districts for several years to make up the difference in aid to districts with declining student population.

“I think hold harmless is in its last gasp,” said Jackson. “We aren't losing students like we did in the 1990s and early 2000s.”

The 2008-2009 budget has been on public display for the required 30 days. School districts can amend a budget at any time during the year with a month's notice to the public and an open public hearing before the board votes.

“I have several things to ask about the budget,” said board member Rusty Dowdall. “Are we going to adopt two budgets?”

Jackson said the board would approve one budget, the one in front of them, because the deadline is near. Then a committee could go through the budget and make adjustments.

“We can go through and make adjustments,” said Jackson. “We can change line items and notify the people spending the money. The idea to reduce line items is something we've only heard about in the last two to three weeks. We can go through and adjust the budget to live within our means. We can run lean.”

Board members Menn, Summers, Dowdall, Tim Hempen and Craig Huls approved the 2008-2009 approximately $5 million budget. Board members Jerod Leffler and Tom Schilson were absent Wednesday.

Enrollment is slightly down

At the August school board meeting, it was reported that the district's enrollment increased by 17 students over last year's count.

“Our enrollment is actually down a little,” Jackson said Wednesday. “This is typical. At the beginning of the school year, we count new students added but we don't know who has left the district. After Labor Day, we have a more accurate count of who has left.”

Enrollment counts taken Sept. 5 show a total decrease of six students, from 660 a year ago to 654 students this year.

A look at district enrollment figures shows the last year Hamilton gained students was the 1994-95 school year. Student population was at 900 that year. Hamilton added 32 students in 1994-95 and 24 students in 1993-94. Those are the only two years showing a gain back to 1985-86 when district enrollment stood at 944.

Enrollment this year shows a decline of four students in elementary; the loss of three students in junior high; and the gain of one student in high school. Hamilton High School now has a population of 205 students including six out-of-district special education students; junior high is at 95 students; and elementary school has 354 students which includes 37 pre-K at risk students and 12 pre-K special education students at Hamilton and two out-of-district special education students.