Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Curriculum And Programs topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Board hears warning on Cereal City Science fund balance as kit sales decline; staff to return with options
Summary
District finance and curriculum staff said Cereal City Science has run multi-year operating losses as school kit purchases declined; the board was told staff are exploring curriculum redesign, new markets and print-shop revenue to stabilize the program.
Herb Hayden and district staff briefed the board on the mounting financial challenges facing Cereal City Science, the district-operated curriculum and materials program, saying operating losses have persisted for five years and the fund balance has fallen sharply.
Hayden said revenue fell after COVID as districts bought fewer science kits while salaries, benefits and utilities rose. “In the past, the Cereal City Fund balance used to be about $2,000,000. But as the years have gone by based on the revenue expenses, that fund balance is decreasing significantly,” he said.
Staff showed a trend analysis of revenues, expenses and fund balance over five years. Hayden said districts are buying fewer kits and teachers find the existing kits too dense and time-consuming to use in a 30–40 minute lesson, prompting kit usage decline even when buildings have money. He said staff engaged local teachers to streamline kit content and reduce complexity in a curriculum rewrite to increase usability.
Short-term revenue strategies under consideration include marketing to homeschool families, expanding the district’s print shop services to neighboring districts (the print shop recently printed open-source math materials for a nearby district), and offering prepaid curriculum products. Hayden said contracting and printing work has produced “a nice chunk of change” and staff will pursue additional customers.
Hayden cautioned that some decisions ahead may be difficult and that staff will return to the board with specific expense reductions and proposals at a future meeting. Trustees asked whether the program could diversify into other subject areas; staff said science remains the core offering but they are exploring related opportunities and partnerships.
No board vote was taken. Hayden said he will present concrete proposals to reduce expenses or restructure the program at an upcoming board meeting.
