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Stratford School District reviews fund-by-fund budget; open-enrollment shortfall could trim revenue
Summary
Officials presented a fund-by-fund review of the district's budget, warning that current open-enrollment trends could leave the general fund roughly $60,000 below the amount budgeted while noting higher-than-expected interest income and a $56,000 capital balance for an elevator remodel.
Chris Dickinson presented the Stratford School District's fund-by-fund budget and highlighted revenue and timing items affecting the current-year outlook. She told the board the district is "going to be about $60,000 less than what I had expected" if current open-enrollment figures hold, and she said the shortfall would not likely cause a major immediate impact but will require monitoring.
Dickinson explained that some revenue lines arrive later in the year (notably a May disbursement tied to state aid) and that a one-time payment reported last year was an error and is not budgeted this year. She said an E-Rate reimbursement from last year has been budgeted for the current year but had not yet cleared the federal payment system.
On the expense side, Dickinson said most object-level spending is tracking close to expectations. She noted auditor-requested recoding of certain expenses (shifting some items between object 400 and object 900) that affected how supplies appear in the report but did not change total spending. She also said interest income has outpaced conservative estimates; the district currently shows about $41,000 in interest income.
Capital and special funds drew specific mention. Fund 46 (capital improvements) carries roughly $56,000 remaining for the elevator remodel; Dickinson said final work included connecting phone lines so the elevator can pass inspection and finishing ramp work. Fund 21 (donations and activity accounts) currently shows about $10,900 in recorded You-fund donations and will be reconciled at year-end. Fund 50 (food service) has seen slightly higher federal reimbursements and increased participation; repairs this year (including a roughly $1,800 garbage-disposal repair) pushed some expense lines higher but the overall change was modest. For Fund 80 (community service), the district levied $2,800; about $2,000 remains earmarked for summer-school swim-bus expenses and Dickinson said she expects Fund 80 to end near break-even.
Dickinson closed by describing the district's levy strategy: using operating transfers to preserve levy capacity while avoiding taxing residents more than necessary, and confirmed that the district's debts are paid.
The board did not take formal action during the presentation; Dickinson answered clarifying questions and invited further discussion at future meetings.
