The Atwater-Cosmos-Grove City School Board took a first look last week at its 2022-2023 budget and decided it could probably spend a little more and raise a little less revenue as it still has more than $4 million in reserves. Next year, the district anticipates bringing in about $14.24 million in revenue, while spending a little more than $15 million.
Despite the board’s efforts to spend down its surplus this past two years, the district hasn’t actually succeeded..
School officials have explained that district goals are to keep, but not significantly exceed, a 20% fund balance.to cushion the district’s cash flow against unexpected expenses or loss of regular revenue.
Revenues keep exceeding expenditures at ACGC for three major reasons:
- Despite the COVID pandemic, which depleted enrollment at many schools in the state, ACGC’s enrollment remained steady and even expanded slightly, with more students “open enrolling” into the district than out of the district in recent years. After dropping for decades, ACGC’s enrollment has stabilized and even inched back, according to enrollment reports shared with the board.
- Like other state schools, ACGC received extra state and federal contributions related to the COVID epidemic. Although intended to help make up for lost enrollment and cancelled activities, plus the cost of COVID protocols, the special funds helped backfill expenses and the loss of normal revenue related to the epidemic. Since ACGC’s enrollment did not decline, its regular per-pupil state aid continued to cover most educational expenses.
- The ACGC Board has expanded its preschool and secondary school offerings. By offering all-day preschool, day care, and summer school care and enrichment programs, the district appears to have attracted more area families who have young children. Similarly, offering more college-level and enrichment electives within the high school appears to have staunched the flow of “post-secondary options” seekers who were leaving the district and enrolling in off-campus opportunities, which had caused the district to lose state per-pupil aid.
The robust summer school programs of last year and this summer attracted record numbers of students, including many whose families want their children to “make up for” lessons that they missed or failed to continue during the COVID epidemic. Elementary Principal Kodi Goracke announced June 27 that 170 children were enrolled in summer school this summer. High School/Middle School Principal Robin Wall announced that her building has been participating in a high school credit recovery program, plus special algebra classes to help students make up lessons missed during the pandemic. There have also been 56 children in the middle grades enrolled in summer school, Wall announced, in addition to the seven older students in algebra and 15 in credit recovery.
Contracted Business Manager Blake Stoltman and Interim Superintendent Paul Carlson cautioned the board that spending more than the district brings in is not a situation that would last for long. By mid-winter, the board will need to evaluate its fiscal condition and make plans to adjust spending accordingly for 2023-24. Stoltman expects to have a better handle on how much money remains in the 2021-22 reserves by mid-July.
