Valpo City Council approves nearly $93 million school budget
Valparaiso Community Schools Superintendent Jim McCall unveiled a nearly $93 million budget for 2023 presented to the Valparaiso City Council in late October and passed unanimously.
The school budget was explained and discussed during the course of two meetings last month with presentations by McCall facilitating the process to provide for an opportunity for public input, teamed with Jim Holifield, the new chief financial officer for Valparaiso Community Schools.
“We have our six tax supported funds, and remember of those funds, our education fund is not supported by property taxes but by sales tax, with a transfer of funds by the state to us each month to pay for our educational programs,” said Holifield, who began the CFO position in July after the retirement of Sharon Qualkenbush.
“Much of the increases for the 2023 budget are due to salary and insurance increased costs.”
In addition to the education fund, the other six funds in the annual school budget are operations fund, operating referendum, capital referendum, pension debt and debt services. The first preview of the school budget was presented as Ordinance No. 21-2022 at the Sept. 26 council meeting with a public hearing and a second reading and adoption on Oct. 10, with few questions from the public speaking or posing questions.
The 2022 Valparaiso Community Schools budget was $86 million, an increase from the advertised 2021 Valparaiso Community Schools budget which was $79.4 million, with the actual realized budget being slightly less for taxpayers at $79.3 million.
Council member Diana Reed, D-1st District, who shares the duties of council liaison to the schools with council member Jack Pupillo, R-4th District, reported to the council and public that the school board has also approved a
teacher contract following negotiations.
“The teaching staff beginning salary is now $51,000 and the maximum salary caps at $87,700,” Reed said.
“The schools referendum dollars are going to be utilized for all veteran teachers to receive a % retention stipend along with an additional $500 stipend paid at the end of the year.”
Reed said other nonteaching staff pay increases, such as a 5.3% salary increase for any new starting classified staff and 6.5% increase for veteran classified staff. Administrative staff will receive a 5.9% increase.
Since Valparaiso Community Schools has an appointed school board consisting of trustees determined by the Valparaiso City Council and the Center Township Board, rather than elected school board members, the school budget and public hearing process is only before the city council for vote of approval, as opposed to being voted and passed for adoption by the school board.