First Glance at 2016-17 SoBoCo Budget is a Deficit Budget

Just because the SoBoCo school district was capable of passing a $7-million-plus bond issue and student population is experiencing unprecedented growth, that doesn’t mean the budgeting process gets any easier.

SoBoCo Superintendent Chris Felmlee presented his first draft of the 2016-17 school year budget to the school board at a special budget workshop meeting last week – a half-million dollar deficit budget.

“There are lots of facts we don’t know about,” Felmlee told school board members, but this is my best guess – and it (the budget) always looks more bleak at first.”

The school board must pass a budget for the next school year at their June meeting later this month.

Felmlee told the school board that as the current 2015-16 budget stands, the school district is scheduled to close out the year with $16.256 million spent, however, they have only spend $13.882 to date – which does not include the final paychecks for July and August.

Felmlee told school board members that he expected to receive $500,000 from the state and end the year in the black with funds to carry into the new year’s budget.

~ Find out more in today’s Journal ~

by Bruce Wallace