South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

South St. Louis County News

St. Louis Call Newspapers

Mehlville projects an overall fund balance of $20 million at end of school year

Mehlville School District officials are projecting an overall fund balance of $20,029,512 at the end of the current school year — roughly $5.3 million more than anticipated when the 2006-2007 budget was adopted last year.

Board members voted unanimously June 29, 2006, to adopt a 2006-2007 budget that anticipated total expenditures of $96,977,601 with projected revenue of $98,539,140 — a surplus of $1,561,539.

At that time, an overall fund balance of $14,668,940 was projected on June 30, 2007.

The Board of Education voted unanimously in February to approve adjustments to the current budget. As revised, the 2006-2007 budget projects total expenditures of $97,650,633 with anticipated revenue of $99,240,702.

Projections presented to the Board of Education April 19 by Chief Financial Officer Brent Bell estimate an overall fund balance of $20,029,512 on June 30, 2007 — $5,360,572 more than originally anticipated.

Under state law, a school district is required to maintain a 3-percent balance in its operating fund — a combination of the general fund and the teachers’ fund — or be considered a “distressed” district.

When the original 2006-2007 school year budget was adopted, operating expenditures of $84,393,534 were projected with anticipated revenue of $84,508,912 — a surplus of $115,378. After transferring $150,000 to the capital projects fund, an operating fund balance of $5,806,283 — 6.88 percent — was projected on June 30, 2007. That balance includes food service, activities and athletics.

Bell told the Call that current projections place operating expenditures for 2006-2007 at $82,967,269 with anticipated revenue of $84,933,415 — a surplus totaling $1,966,146. An operating fund balance of $10,406,650 — including food service, activities and athletics — now is projected on June 30, 2007. That totals roughly 12.56 percent.

While the board has yet to approve a budget for the 2007-2008 school year, preliminary budget projections were presented to the board by Bell.

Those preliminary numbers — which assume a 6-percent salary increase for all employees — project total expenditures of $104,334,092 with anticipated revenue of $101,810,538 — a deficit of $2,523,554. The district will not go into the red, however, but will dip into reserves.

Based on the anticipated fund balance of $20,029,512 on June 30, 2007, an overall fund balance of $17,505,958 is projected on June 30, 2008.

For the coming school year, preliminary projections anticipate operating expenditures of $88,940,876 with revenue of $86,091,082 — a deficit of $2,849,794.

With the projected operating fund balance of $10,406,650 on June 30, 2007, an operating fund balance of $7,556,856 is anticipated on June 30, 2008. That operating fund balance totals 8.5 percent — $4,888,630 more than the required 3-percent balance of $2,668,226.

Board members voted unanimously April 19 to approve a 6-percent across-the-board salary increase for teachers for the 2007-2008 school year. Teachers last year received pay raises ranging from 1.62 percent to 6.88 percent.

The 2007-2008 salary schedule is comprised of five channels — Bachelor’s, Bachelor’s +15, Master’s, Master’s +30 and Multiple Advanced Degrees. Channels denote a teacher’s level of education. Each channel also includes steps that represent each year a teacher has worked.

For the coming school year, the salary for a beginning teacher will be $33,853, up from $32,526. Teachers on the 16th step of the Multiple Advanced Degrees channel will be paid $71,116 for 2007-2008, up from last year’s top step of $67,091.

For the 2007-2008 school year, teachers who have earned a National Board Certification or an educational specialist degree will receive $1,000 added to their salary, the same as last year. In addition, teachers who have earned a doctorate degree will receive $1,500 added to their salary, the same as last year.

Teachers at the top of the Master’s Degree channel for five consecutive years will receive a Longevity Step of $400 added to their yearly scheduled salary at the beginning of their sixth year, the same as last year. Teachers at the top of the Master’s +30 Degree channel for five consecutive years will receive a Longevity Step of $700 added to their yearly scheduled salary at the beginning of their sixth year, something new this year.

Teachers at the top of the Multiple Advanced Degrees channel for five consecutive years will receive a Longevity Step of $1,000 added to their yearly scheduled salary at the beginning of their sixth year, unchanged from last year. Teachers on Longevity Step 1 for five consecutive years will receive an additional $1,000 — L2 — added to their yearly scheduled salary at the beginning of their sixth year, the same as last year.

Besides the pay increase, the agreement approved April 19 with the Mehlville National Education Association includes:

• Increasing the certified staff up to 20 positions.

• Re-establishing the three-tier bus system.

• Increasing the maintenance budget to enhance staffing and equipment.

• Reducing the cost of insurance premiums to staff members and their dependents. District coverage will include orthodics for employees and an increase in the durable medical equipment benefit.

Based on initial revenue and expenditure projections and after the defeat of a proposed 97-cent tax-rate increase in February 2006, the administration early in 2006 had recommended a target of $4 million in cuts be made for the 2006-2007 school year. At one point in early 2006, the board had approved cuts totaling $3,497,550, including the decision to begin charging $375 per student for bus transportation for those who live within 3.5 miles of their school.

Charging for transportation was among the recommendations made by task force study groups appointed by former Superintendent Tim Ricker to explore expenditure reductions in the event the 97-cent tax-rate increase was not approved by voters.

After the April 2006 school-board election in which two incumbents were defeated, board members voted April 19, 2006, to reinstate free bus transportation with then-board President Ken Leach, Vice President Karl Frank Jr., Tom Diehl and Micheal Ocello in favor. Opposed were then-Secretary Tom Correnti, Cindy Christopher and Rita Diekemper. Diekemper and Correnti did not seek re-election this year.

Though the board voted last year to reinstate free transportation, a four-tier system was utilized, resulting in fewer bus stops, longer walks for students and a change in starting and dismissal times at some schools. The board’s April 19 action restores the three-tier system that is similar — but not exactly the same — as the previous three-tier system.

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