Treasurer reports clean audit, stronger revenues and higher December health claims

Treasurer Missus Roberts reported a clean fiscal audit for the year ending June 30 and presented a December financial recap showing revenue growth and a rise in benefit expenses.

Roberts said the district had received nearly $16 million in revenues year to date, up from about $14.3 million last year — an increase of roughly 11 percent. She said property-tax collections were up about 22 percent and income taxes about 4.6 percent; state payments were up about 10 percent, in part because universal free lunch for students increased state funding beginning in October. Interest income on investments was reported at about $645,000 year to date, compared with $620,000 last December.

On expenditures, Roberts said the district had spent about $12.9 million compared with $12.1 million last year. Salaries were up about 10 percent and benefits rose to roughly $3.4 million from $3.0 million the prior year, she said, noting that moving salaries back to the general fund increased benefit-line totals.

Roberts also reported higher health-insurance claims in December. She said total medical expenditures through December were about $2.6 million and that claims in December were about $460,000 versus about $180,000 in the prior December. That increase produced a monthly deficit of about $103,000 in medical claims for the reporting period, though the district retained a healthy cash reserve in the benefits fund. Dental claims were up about 9 percent but the dental plan remained positive year to date.

Separately, the board acknowledged a $300 donation in memory of Barbara Hughes to the district’s land lab and that district staff send thank-you letters for donations.

Roberts said she would continue to monitor insurance claims and expected to watch January activity closely; no immediate budget action was proposed in the transcript.