By Per Peterson
As part of the first reading of the school district’s proposed FY19 Capital Outlay, Tracy Area High School Supt. Chad Anderson on Monday updated the District No. 2904 school board on the district’s Unrestricted Fund Balance, which, he noted, will be decreasing significantly.
Anderson cited loss of compensatory aid, salary increases, technology purchases and assignments and declining enrollment as causes for the decrease.
Student enrollment at the present time is 700 and predicted enrollment for 2019-20 is 684. Anderson said factors that predict future enrollment are incoming kindergarten class, transfers in seventh grade from St. Mary’s and Milroy and graduating classes. The class of 2019 and class of 2020 will graduate 67 students; kindergarten projection will be 45 each year and St. Mary’s and Milroy projections will be eight. A total decline in 2019 is projected to be between 10 and 14 students, same with 2020. Each student is worth $9,600 in state aid.
The estimated loss in revenues each year will be $100,000 in FY20 and $100,000 in FY21.
The new referendum starts in FY19. There is a predicted $130,000 additional revenue each year if enrollment remains steady. Because of declining enrollment, the estimated revenue from the levy will be less depending on student counts, or Average Daily membership.
The state formula allowance will give the district 2% next year (about $120 per student), Anderson said. Achievement and Integration funds for Transition Kindergarten totals $64,000, and the district will also benefit from Voluntary Pre-K grant money — between $15,000-$25,000 depending on students who qualify.
For more on this article, see this week’s Headlight-Herald.