The Delaware City Schools Board of Education on Monday discussed the district’s budget and the need to place a renewal levy on the ballot in November.
The board met digitally and began with a discussion of the five-year forecast and what impact the recent changes to the state budget will have on the district.
District Treasurer and CFO Melissa Swearingen said there are “still many unknown items at this time,” and the district is expecting a reduction in revenue for the current fiscal year.
Swearingen explained that on May 5, Gov. Mike DeWine announced $775 million in state budget cuts, including $300 million in reductions in K-12 public school funding, to be implemented immediately for the fiscal year 2020 budget.
Swearingen said Delaware’s reduction is 4.47% of its state funding or a total dollar figure of $773,391.
She went on to explain that the district would be evaluating new hires very closely and would be “looking to make reductions through attrition where possible.” She added no specific cuts have been planned at this time.
“We need to see where we end (fiscal year) 2020 and the extent of reductions made by the state for (fiscal year) 2021,” Swearingen said in an email Tuesday. “We will also need to evaluate the requirements of the federal CARES dollars received to see the extent to which those funds can be used to offset the state budget reduction.”
All non-essential purchases for remainder of fiscal year have been shut down, and the district will continue to examine purchases for next year as well, Swearingen said. She added that expenditures had also decreased since the November forecast.
“There’s a lot of unknowns in terms of what the state budget will look like for the next couple of years,” Swearingen said. “We’re monitoring that very closely.”
Swearingen also informed the board that the district will need to renew a 2010 renewal levy that expires at the end of this year. Swearingen said the levy generates $9.4 million annually. She added the board will need to pass two resolutions before the August filing deadline to make sure it is on the November ballot, and she recommended that the board pass the first resolution at its June 21 meeting.
The board also approved three resignations: Nancy Carey, an occupational therapist at Hayes High School; Breanna Reamsnider, an EL teacher at Woodward Elementary School; and Amanda Wikoff, a bus driver.
The board then approved several employments: Megan Donegan, an intervention specialist at Schultz Elementary School; Julia Fedyski, a third grade teacher at Conger Elementary School; Kelly Fulton, a third grade teacher at Conger; Alli Hall, an occupational therapist at Dempsey; Savannah Inscho-Lewis, a fourth grade teacher at Carlisle Elementary School; Tracey Lewis, a kindergarten teacher at Conger; and Major Matthew O’Brien, who will lead Air Force JROTC at Hayes.
The board’s next meeting is scheduled for 6 p.m. on June 1.
