Acadia Parish board hears October 1 student-count drop and larger midyear budget deficit

Acadia Parish School System staff reported to the school board on Oct. 21 that the district's Oct. 1 student count is down 188 students from the prior reporting period, and that the change will increase an originally-adopted budget deficit to roughly $1.3 million.

Justin Carrier, a school system staff member who presented the budget-to-actual summary, said the district has collected $18,152,670 in revenue so far, equal to about 19.9% of the budget; expenditures through the same period were $21,095,925, or about 23.4% of expected expenditures. The district adopted an original deficit of roughly $660,000; Carrier told the board that, after factoring the enrollment decline and related Minimum Foundation Program (MFP) funding reductions, the expected deficit will increase to between $1.3 million and $1.4 million. "We are down 188 students," Carrier told the board.

Carrier presented additional context: the board-adopted budget had anticipated a $546,000 decrease in MFP revenue; with the lower student count the MFP revenue decrease is now estimated at about $1.2 million, bringing a projected deficit to around $1,335,000. He also noted a longer-term trend: compared with October 2015 the district has declined about 9% in student count over ten years.

Board members asked about specific projects and expenditures. Carrier said work on the Crowley High air-conditioning project is at a near standstill until remaining equipment is installed; two air handlers remain to be replaced, and some billing activity has paused while work completes. Staff reported that other components such as chillers had already been replaced.

Carrier told the board that about half of the 188-student decrease could be attributed to one charter school in Maurice, which he said had accepted about half of the students who left the district. The district also discussed homeschooling and pre-K enrollment declines as contributors to the overall loss.

Why it matters: the enrollment decline reduces state MFP revenue and increases the district's projected deficit, which can affect staffing, programming and capital planning. Carrier said the midyear budget will be adjusted to reflect enrollment figures when the board considers the midyear budget revision.

Next steps: staff said they will adjust the midyear budget for enrollment figures and return to the board with updates; board members asked for continued monitoring of capital projects and clearer attachments on purchase or contract items discussed earlier in the meeting.