Lakewood treasurer warns House proposal could cut $14 million from district over two years; board urged to consider levy timing

Lakewood City Schools Treasurer Kent Zeman told the Board of Education on May 5 that the district's general fund is forecast to take a hit under pending state budget proposals, and that one House plan could effectively withhold about $14 million in locally approved levy revenue over two years.

"Revenues for this year on the general fund totaled just a little bit over $85,000,000 and expenditures are coming in at $88,200,000," Zeman said, describing the district's current fiscal-year numbers and the structural pressure school districts face as operating costs rise faster than property-tax driven revenues.

Zeman laid out three budget scenarios being discussed at the state level and why each matters to Lakewood: the governor's proposal (a reduction to the district's guarantee under the Fair School Funding Plan), the House proposal (flat funding plus a local cash-balance reduction mechanism), and the status quo. He said the House plan would empower a county budget commission to reduce distributions when a…