For the third straight year School District 58 has operated on a deficit budget, but superintendent Steve McNiven said there is no cause for concern.
“That has been purposeful, with the board understanding there are some surpluses in place that need to be drawn down to support students,” he said.
The district’s projected deficit for this year was $950,000, and the numbers were not far off at $930,000.
“So we’ve been trying to manage [the deficit] in a responsible and effective way, but the reality is that we can’t continue to do that either, that there will be a need to move away from the deficit budget and to get to a balanced budget,” McNiven said. “With board support we will be doing that over the next few years.”
A new funding model is set to be implemented for the 2020-21 school year, McNiven told the Herald, and the district will likely be putting a 3-year plan to balance the budget together at that time.
The district’s budget for this year is $32,715,326.
Capital projects receiving district dollars include the entrance reconfiguration at Merritt Central Elementary, a new playground at John Allison Elementary in Princeton, and district-wide initiatives such as implementing lockdown shades, electronic building access systems for staff, and adjustable LED lighting for classrooms.
McNiven noted the move away from traditional fluorescent beams has been a positive one so far.
“That is moving along well across the district, and I’ve had good reports from teachers,” he said. “It is amazing the difference that is making, giving teachers the ability to control their lighting in the classroom.”
