A look at the Plymouth School District budget
The Budget Process
| Faculty and staff submit budget requests | Proposed budget is drafted | District Leadership Team reviews proposed budget | School Board discusses proposal | School Board finalizes budget | Electors approve levy | Board certifies levy |
| Jan.-March | March-April | April-May | June-July | August | September | October |
Synopsis of the 2011-12 budget
The district expects to offset a $111,000 shortfall in the 2011-12 budget with money not spent this year, and will not have to make significant cuts to its educational model at present.
This is a considerable improvement in the district’s financial picture, thanks to a number of factors. Among them, the district and the community successfully lobbied legislators to partially restore a “bump” in revenue limits for historically low-spending districts such as Plymouth. In addition, district teachers agreed to a pay freeze and to pay more toward their insurance and pensions.
What's next? The 2011-12 levy will be presented to electors Sept. 20. The Board of Education will certify the levy at its Oct. 18 meeting. The board also has resumed its long-range planning process.
Where does the money come from?
- Various forms of state aid provide about half of the district's revenue, down from recent years.
- Local property taxes provide the next-largest source of funding for the district.
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Where does the money go
- Most of your tax dollar goes into the district's general fund, its main operating budget.
- The district's biggest expense is instruction: teacher salaries, classroom materials, etc.
- The next biggest expense is support services, such as buildings and administration.
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What is the impact of declining state aid?
- The district made $1.34 million in changes to balance the 2009-10 budget.
- The current Fund Balance (sort of a savings account for the district) is below optimum.
| Changes to balance 2009-10 budget | |
| Secured federal stimulus money | $347,000 |
| Closed Cascade school | $240,000 |
| Cut salaries and benefits | $190,000 |
| Cut staffing and services | $179,000 |
| Changed transportation plan | $150,000 |
| Moved fifth-graders to Riverview | $124,000 |
| Riverview extracurriculars to Comm. Ed. | $60,000 |
| Cut salaries and benefits | $190,000 |
| Raised activity fees | $50,000 |
| Total | $1,340,000 |
What is the district doing about the situation?
The district has taken the lead in developing the Sheboygan County Regional Planning Initiative, a set of recommendations to improve education in our region and hopefully the state. The recommendations were crafted over created over nine months by board members, school administrators, union representatives and legislators.
In addition, the district has taken a proactive approach to planning for its financial future. A subcommittee of the Board of Education has analyzed:
- Methods to expand enrollment by improving the educational model to attract students
- Plan B: Methods to reduce costs or otherwise improve the bottom line
The most promising ideas for increasing enrollment include:
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Cost-cutting measures evaluated include:
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