2017-2018Tentative Budget Presentation

Spring Lake School DistrictH.W. Mountz School

Dr. Raymond J. BoccutiSuperintendent, Principal, Chief School Administrator

March 6, 2017

Budget Philosophy

● The H.W. Mountz School of the Spring Lake School District is a 2015 National Blue Ribbon Award, Pre-K to 8 educational institution committed to excellence in teaching, learning, and improving student achievement.

● The budget of the school district strongly maintains, and continually improves, the integrity of the instructional program keeping the school district on the cutting edge of preparing our students for the future.

Budget Philosophy● School district is grounded in maintaining fiscal viability

for the future through:● Recognize reality: Costs of expenditures exceed

state-capped increases in revenue● Pursue an ongoing line by line analysis to reduce the gap

each year to achieve a balanced budget● Maintain fiscally responsible reserves for self-sufficiency,

improvements, and unexpected emergencies● Utilize those reserves in conservative, limited, and

responsible measures as carefully guided by the state and auditor

● Maximize revenue, decrease expenditures● Maintain an innovative and progressive instructional

program beyond Blue Ribbon achievement to further excel through Strategic Planning

March 6 Tentative Budget Presentation

March 20 Board Action To Submit Tentative Budget

March 20 Deadline: Submit Preliminary Budget to County Superintendent

April 12 Ad Hoc Finance Committee Meeting #4 – Public Hearing Budget Presentation

April 17 Ed Data: Requisitions Approved

April 18 Deadline: Advertise in The Coast Star for April 20 publishing (4 days prior to

hearing)

April 21 County Approval: Last Day

April 24 Budget Hearing (Public): Earliest Day

April 24 BOE and Public Hearing (Presentation) & Adoption at BOE Action Meeting

April 26 Deadline: Post User-Friendly Budget on website (within 48 hours after public

hearing)

May 1 Ed Data: Purchase Orders Prepared

May 8 Budget Hearing (Public): Last Day

May 12 Deadline: Submit Final Budget to the State

May 19 Deadline: Certification – Submit to County Board of Taxation

Budget Timeline

Budget Process● Starts with the Administrative

Team:● Historical analysis of three

fiscal years:● 2014-2015 Audited● 2015-2016 Audited● 2016-2017 Budgeted● 2016-2017 Actual● 2017-2018 Projected

● Conservative revenue projections (e.g. non-resident tuition, shared services, etc.)

● Actual expenditure projections with conservative contingencies guided by the state and auditor

Budget - Google Docs

● Collaboration through Google Docs

● One master budget document

● Instantaneous sharing

● Real time updating

● Revision history● Three years of history

● Numerous stakeholders● Accountable individuals with authority

● Corporate knowledge built forward● 880+ accounts

Account OwnersIT DepartmentFront OfficeCSTAthletic DirectorBusiness OfficeSuperintendent

Google Sheets Example

Budget Process (continued)● Zero-based, Administrative Team

review of every line in the proposed budget

● Review of ongoing progress with the Board of Education’s ad hoc Finance Committee:● Vincent Daino – Board President● Alan Ferraro – Board member● Dr. Boccuti – Superintendent● Nick Mackres – Business

Administrator/Board Secretary● Kerri Walsifer – Assistant

Principal/Director of Student Services

● Christopher Soto – IT Coordinator

Maximizing Revenue● Pursuing grant funding (e.g. IDEA, Title I, Title II,

etc.)

● Spring Lake School District PTA

● Spring Lake School District Educational Foundation (SLED)

● While maintaining best practices in class size, marketing non-resident student tuition

● Child Study Team providing shared services to other sending school districts

● Maintain healthy reserves utilized in a limited, responsible manner as guided and reviewed by the state and auditor

Reducing Expenditures

● Zero-based, Administrative Team review of every line in the budget.

● Optimizing staff size to strongly support the finest possible PreK-8 curricula (e.g. enrollment and program impact)

● The vast majority of the budget is in fixed costs:● Salaries● Benefits● Special education● Debt service

● We continue to learn to do more with less!

SPRING LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT

SPRING LAKE SCHOOL DISTRICT

Reserves - Withdrawals

● Fund Balance – Legal Reserve - $511,184

● Fund Balance – Unassigned - $74,868

● Tuition Reserve - $80,255

● Maintenance - $75,000

2017-2018 Budget Highlights● Commitment to providing professional development

opportunities to continually improve teaching, learning, and student achievement

● Instructional resources that support curriculum and College and Career Readiness

● Nationally recognized PreK-8 educational program with high performance in mandated assessments

● Cutting edge technology that is continually maintained and expanded

● Tax decrease of (0.25%) in 2017-2018 vs. a tax increase of 1.9% in 2016-2017 and a tax increase of 2.9% in 2015-2016

2017-2018 Budget Highlights

● No banked cap withdrawal

● Increase art teacher from 0.6 FTE to 1.0 FTE

● Continue to right-size the staff● Psychologist from 1.0 FTE to 0.6 FTE● Social Worker from 0.2 FTE to 0.8 FTE

● Increase in buildings and grounds (e.g. beautification, etc.)

● $10k Reduction in gas and electric for NJ Direct Install

Next Steps

● Continual Administrative Team daily review for additional expenditure reductions

● Continual Finance Committee review of ongoing progress

● Tentative budget adoption – March 20, 2017

● Final budget presentation and adoption – April 24, 2017 BOE public meeting

Thank you! Questions?