ShawneeDispatch.com

While the work may be done for students in the Shawnee Mission USD 512 and De Soto USD 232, the administrators and Board of Education members are getting to work finalizing budgets for the next school year.

The Kansas Legislature, in its 2009 session completed earlier this month, slashed about $130 million from the state budget for public schools. Lawmakers cut the base state aid to districts by $33 in the current fiscal year, then trimmed another $153 per pupil from the 2010 budget.

The cuts were made to help bridge a $328 million deficit in the $13 billion state budget.

But one piece of legislation — Senate Bill 84 — will help ease those cuts by allowing districts to calculate local option budget funds using a base state aid per pupil of $4,433 — the amount authorized for the current school year.

Ken Larsen, director of finances for De Soto USD 232, said being able to calculate the LOB on the higher rate was considerably more helpful to the district. Based on the $4,430 figure, USD 232 will bring in an additional $407,950 for its local option budget, which totals $11.8 million for the 2009-2010 school year.

Tim Rooney, manager of finances for Shawnee Mission USD 512, said the higher base calculation would help the district by about $2.6 million for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

Nevertheless, both districts face millions of dollars in state aid reductions.

Shawnee Mission USD 512 faces a loss of $5.6 million in the next fiscal year due to the reduction in per-pupil student aid.

In February, Shawnee Mission USD 512’s Board of Education heard $10.5 in proposed budget reductions for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

The recommended cuts to the district’s operating budget include the elimination of 10 elementary, 20 middle school and 20 high school full-time teaching positions.

Rooney said the district would look at each list item on the list when preparing the budget.

At its May 18 meeting, Larsen presented the De Soto USD 232 board with the estimate for next year’s budget and advised the board to use a stakeholder committee’s findings to make $1 million in reductions. If the reductions are made, a deficit of $175,460 would remain.

Larsen suggested a $184,000 transfer of expenditures from the general fund to the capital outlay fund to make up the difference.

Larsen said the district received funds to the capital outlay account every year, allowing for the transfer.

Under the scenario, USD 232 would have a positive balance of $8,540 for the 2009-2010 fiscal year.

The 2010-2011 fiscal year will present additional hurdles for both districts.

Larsen said USD 232 could revisit the stakeholders committee’s list of reductions if the Legislature makes additional cuts in public school funding.

“Those aren’t going away; we are keeping that list. If the base state aid is reduced in the 2010-2011 fiscal year, we’ll have to go back to the list and make further reductions,” Larsen said.

Rooney said a possible $600,000 gap in state revenue could leave Shawnee Mission USD 512 looking at additional reductions in the future.

Representatives from both districts will attend a state budget workshop in June. Finalized budgets for each district are expected to be completed in August.

The Shawnee Mission Board of Education is conducting a budget workshop at 7 p.m. today at McEachen Administrative Center, 7235 Antioch Rd., Overland Park.

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