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District likely to dip into contingency fund to offset revenue loss
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IMBLER — The Imbler School District will likely avoid budget or program cuts in 2008-09 despite a projected revenue drop of almost $80,000. Imbler Superintendent Doug Hislop is recommending that $100,000 be drawn from the district’s contingency fund in 2008-09 to cover an anticipated revenue loss of $78,690, one brought on by falling enrollment and changes in the way the state allocates revenue funds. Taking $100,000 from the contingency fund would reduce it to $318,000, still a solid level for a district of Imbler’s size. “We feel that $318,000 is adequate for the operation of our district,’’ Hislop said. The superintendent has worked hard to build up Imbler’s contingency fund since taking Imbler’s reins in 2003. Imbler’s enrollment is projected to fall by 18 students in 2008-09, Hislop told the district’s budget committee Tuesday. This will have significant impact since Imbler receives about $6,000 from the state per student. A major reason for the projected drop is that Imbler will graduate a large senior class of 33 students later this month, one which will be replaced by a small kindergarten class of 13 students. Hislop is proposing that the district adopt a general fund budget of $3,391,485, one that would be $78,690 less than its present year’s budget. Under the proposed budget the school district would not make any cuts but it would not increase what it pays for some things like printing costs. Maintaining flat spending in such areas is the equivalent of making a budget cut because of inflation, Hislop said. The superintendent warned the budget committee on Tuesday that Imbler’s enrollment drop could be worse than projected since the district has so many transfer students who are driven to school by their parents from places like La Grande and Cove. Hislop fears that rising gas prices may force some families to enroll their sons and daughters in their home school districts. Imbler presently has about 70 students from outside its district. The budget committee will later voter on whether to recommend Imbler’s proposed budget to the school board for adoption. |
