Schools budget forecasts deficit

The North Hills School District’s 2021-22 budget shows a deficit, but business manager Jerry Muth said the proposed final budget usually does.

The budget predicts revenues of $84.9 million and expenditures of $88.6 million.

“Most years, we are in a deficit position at this point in time,” Mr. Muth told school board members at their April 8 work session.

He said real estate taxes and earned income tax collection are stable, but the pandemic affected mercantile and business privilege taxes.

The proposal shows a decrease in local revenue compared with the current budget but a slight increase in state revenues and nearly double the amount in federal subsidies because of the CARES Act.

The district had budgeted $84.4 million last year but only spent $82.7 million. Therefore, it did not need to dip into the fund balance to pay bills, and that money is available this year if the board decides to go that route, Mr. Muth said.

“Our biggest investment is our people,” he said, noting that he is budgeting $64.4 million for salaries and benefits, compared with the $58.4 million spent this year.

Additions in the proposed budget include four pupil service positions, including a school nurse, two psychologists and a social worker. There are also seven online instructor positions, and the transportation contract is up this year.

The budget will be presented to the board April 29, followed by a public meeting May 5 and a vote on the budget June 3.

In other business, Superintendent Patrick Mannarino said that students who want to keep their district-issued iPads over the summer can do so.

Students who are in the district’s summer learning programs will need to have the iPads, but other students who do not have similar devices at home can also keep theirs.

There is a caveat: The district must repair any problems. He said parents can download an app to their iPhones or iPads to control what their child does on the district’s iPad.