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Jackson: ‘It’s a bare-bones budget with no frills’
By Diane Vance /Gate City Writer
HAMILTON, Ill. –– There’s not a lot of money in this year’s $5.1 million budget for capital outlay in the Hamilton School District, Superintendent Dr. Jim Jackson said Wednesday.
The Hamilton School Board held a public hearing about the 2009-2010 budget at the beginning of its regular monthly meeting. There were no public comments.
“It’s a bare-bones budget with no frills,” said Jackson. “Our revenues match our expenses. To keep it under control throughout the year, we’ll cut off supply orders by April 1, 2010, so we can manage.”
The education fund, which pays personnel salaries and any expenses related to personnel, accounts for 80 percent of the total budget. Hamilton raises $1.4 million in local property taxes for the education fund which is budgeted at $4 million, down about $23,000 from last year. State aid kicks in another $1.4 million to the education fund.
“Our budget shows an entry of $450,000 revenue from federal stimulus money. It’s not actually that much,” said Jackson. “The federal Department of Education told state governors not to put the stimulus money into state coffers but send it directly where it is designated. If states added it first, then doled it out, those states might not get stimulus money the second year.
“Illinois did just that. And, instead of sending the back payments from last year, the state deducted those amounts, counting the stimulus money as part of the state aid owed to school districts. Hamilton came out ahead about $84,000, not $450,000. But we have to separate stimulus funds and track them separately, so that’s why you see that entry.”
The second largest category in Hamilton schools’ budget is operations and maintenance, budgeted at $449,400 this year, up $16,500 from last year. Hamilton residents contribute $300,400 in property taxes to this fund, about 50 cents of the total tax levy.
On the expenses side, $625,000 is budgeted for elementary salaries, about the same as last year.
Junior high school salaries are budgeted at $$135,000, up slightly by $4,100 from last year.
Hamilton High School salaries are $450,000 this year, down $99,000 from last year.
Special education salaries are at $390,000, up $13,700 from last year.
Some accounts have a zero budget for the 2009-2010 school year, including capital outlay in the elementary, junior high, special education, Title I, junior high/high school library and band programs.
Also, there’s no money allocated for high school drama supplies, the same as last year, nor any funds for overtime pay in the junior high and high school offices.
The EduNet service, which provides real time video/TV distance learning, also has a zero budget this year. EduNet cost the district $946 last year, $4,100 in 2008-09 and $4,098 in 2007-08.
“We’ve found the students don’t like taking classes through the TV,” said junior high/high school Principal Ron Gilbert. “It didn’t work for them.”
Hamilton School District’s tax rate is still relatively low, said Jackson. The tax levy rate is $3.64 per $100 valuation.
“In Hancock County, only Nauvoo-Colusa District has a lower tax rate than ours,” said Jackson.
In December, Hamilton’s tax levy will increase by about 13 cents to $3.77 per $100 valuation to pay off 10-year bonds purchased for this summer’s renovation projects. Those projects included two high school science rooms, a new ceiling in the high school gym, a new high school roof and renovations of the junior high restrooms.
The board met in closed session a half hour before the public meeting and continued after the school board meeting. After the closed sessions, the board:
Approved hiring Jacob Coultas for summer technical help.
Approved hiring Jerud Van Dyke as junior high school social studies and physical education teacher for the 2009-2010 school year.
Authorized Jackson to check into co-op sports for the junior high.
Approved 3 percent raises for Elementary Principal David Snowden, Gilbert and support staff.
Gilbert, a retired U.S. Army officer, rescinded his health insurance benefit because he is covered for life by government health insurance.
“His family health insurance, about $14,000, is part of his benefit package,” said Jackson. “Since he is giving that back to the district, the board approved giving part of that back to him as salary. His annual salary went from $67,000 to $75,000, minus 3 percent.”
The Hamilton School Board held a public hearing about the 2009-2010 budget at the beginning of its regular monthly meeting. There were no public comments.
“It’s a bare-bones budget with no frills,” said Jackson. “Our revenues match our expenses. To keep it under control throughout the year, we’ll cut off supply orders by April 1, 2010, so we can manage.”
The education fund, which pays personnel salaries and any expenses related to personnel, accounts for 80 percent of the total budget. Hamilton raises $1.4 million in local property taxes for the education fund which is budgeted at $4 million, down about $23,000 from last year. State aid kicks in another $1.4 million to the education fund.
“Our budget shows an entry of $450,000 revenue from federal stimulus money. It’s not actually that much,” said Jackson. “The federal Department of Education told state governors not to put the stimulus money into state coffers but send it directly where it is designated. If states added it first, then doled it out, those states might not get stimulus money the second year.
“Illinois did just that. And, instead of sending the back payments from last year, the state deducted those amounts, counting the stimulus money as part of the state aid owed to school districts. Hamilton came out ahead about $84,000, not $450,000. But we have to separate stimulus funds and track them separately, so that’s why you see that entry.”
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On the expenses side, $625,000 is budgeted for elementary salaries, about the same as last year.
Junior high school salaries are budgeted at $$135,000, up slightly by $4,100 from last year.
Hamilton High School salaries are $450,000 this year, down $99,000 from last year.
Special education salaries are at $390,000, up $13,700 from last year.
Some accounts have a zero budget for the 2009-2010 school year, including capital outlay in the elementary, junior high, special education, Title I, junior high/high school library and band programs.
Also, there’s no money allocated for high school drama supplies, the same as last year, nor any funds for overtime pay in the junior high and high school offices.
The EduNet service, which provides real time video/TV distance learning, also has a zero budget this year. EduNet cost the district $946 last year, $4,100 in 2008-09 and $4,098 in 2007-08.
“We’ve found the students don’t like taking classes through the TV,” said junior high/high school Principal Ron Gilbert. “It didn’t work for them.”
Hamilton School District’s tax rate is still relatively low, said Jackson. The tax levy rate is $3.64 per $100 valuation.
“In Hancock County, only Nauvoo-Colusa District has a lower tax rate than ours,” said Jackson.
In December, Hamilton’s tax levy will increase by about 13 cents to $3.77 per $100 valuation to pay off 10-year bonds purchased for this summer’s renovation projects. Those projects included two high school science rooms, a new ceiling in the high school gym, a new high school roof and renovations of the junior high restrooms.
The board met in closed session a half hour before the public meeting and continued after the school board meeting. After the closed sessions, the board:
Approved hiring Jacob Coultas for summer technical help.
Approved hiring Jerud Van Dyke as junior high school social studies and physical education teacher for the 2009-2010 school year.
Authorized Jackson to check into co-op sports for the junior high.
Approved 3 percent raises for Elementary Principal David Snowden, Gilbert and support staff.
Gilbert, a retired U.S. Army officer, rescinded his health insurance benefit because he is covered for life by government health insurance.
“His family health insurance, about $14,000, is part of his benefit package,” said Jackson. “Since he is giving that back to the district, the board approved giving part of that back to him as salary. His annual salary went from $67,000 to $75,000, minus 3 percent.”
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