January 23, 2012
By Rhonda Reed-Slaughter
Valley View School District will be revisiting the outsourcing of its bus service at tonite's school board meeting.
As previously reported, the transportation fund is currently operating at an estimated deficit of $3 million (2009-2011), and on pace to generate an additional $1.6 million in deficits for fiscal year 2012. CLICK TO VIEW GRAPH
The District believes the department's major problem is funding. They point to the lack of funding from the State as a source.
The lack of funding from the State has been an ongoing problem, for several years. In our opinion, it's time the school board face reality - expenditures are too high. Something needs to be done, immediately.
CLICK TO VIEW GRAPH
Why not shift focus? Start adopting more fiscal conservative principles. Obviously, the liberal spending policies currently practiced are not working.
Here's an idea, instead of planning budgets by starting with expenditure levels the same as prior years, why not start AT ZERO?
For example, the school board continues to approve an estimated $12 million in expenditures (in the Transportation Fund) every fiscal year. Never taking into account the drop in revenue/funding, which results in chronic budget deficits. CLICK TO VIEW GRAPH
Why not start each budget year at zero? Every category and expenditure item is discussed and scrutinized.
This is the only way the District can balance the budget, control spending, and in the future, save taxpayers money by submitting reduced tax levies.
The school board is scheduled to discuss the outsourcing option at tonite's board meeting. We look forward to the meeting.
However, one fact remains. The District will need to cut at minimum, $2 million (in the transportation fund) to close the deficit for 2012.
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Will the school board adopt a more conservative fiscal policy by making all of the cuts necessary TODAY, or will they continue to bury their heads in the sand, keep expenditures at $12 million, pray for more funding from the State, and hope things will turn around, while taxpayers continue to ignore the obvious?
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