The Governing Board of the Casa Grande Elementary School District recently approved a tentative budget, with most of the money earmarked for operating expenses.
Of the total $65m, $45m will fund ordinary operations and maintenance, including salaries. The board recently approved a pay rise for district employees.
When he presented the budget, Tom Wohlleber, the district CFO, said the amounts shown assume there will be about 70 fewer students next year, although a precise figure will not be known until January 2019. This means the budget will have to be flexible until then, and will probably need to be adjusted as numbers change.
Wohlleber said the district's capital expenditures—the money it uses to run the schools—should come to about $1.2m. These funds will help pay for things like software, furniture replacement, upgrades to technology, and the curriculum. The district will also address deferred maintenance items that have been set aside, including replacing some of the vans the district uses to transport pupils.
The district's tax rates, both primary and secondary, are projected to remain the same, at $3.52 per $100 of net assessed value. The budget will be formally adopted by the board on June 26.
Matters like this are of great importance to many people, so district officials might consider working with a flyer printing company to create a letter for district residents, keeping them informed of the situation.
