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Southwestern School Board approves additional appropriations and moves $250,000 from education to operations to close 2024 budget
Summary
The Southwestern School Board approved resolutions to pursue additional appropriations for 2024 and transferred $250,000 from the education fund to the operations fund to cover unexpected operational costs, including pool and electrical work. The board also forwarded appropriations to the state review process.
The Southwestern School Board voted in its December meeting to pursue additional appropriations to close the 2024 budget and approved a $250,000 intra-fund transfer from the education fund to the operations fund.
Administration said unexpected costs for the district pool, a bus parking lot and electrical repairs increased operations spending above the original 2024 budget. "We have had a lot of additional costs for the pool and for the bus parking lot and the electrical on all of that," a district official said during the public hearing. The board noted that additional appropriations require DLGF approval and that the district has the cash available but must secure formal appropriations before spending.
The board approved Resolution 2024-10 to transfer $250,000 from the education fund to the operations fund, citing IC 20-42-5 to remain under the 15% transfer limit. The board then approved Resolution 2024-11 to allow the adoption of the additional appropriations the same night as the public hearing and to forward the appropriation request to the state. Both resolutions were approved by roll call.
Why it matters: The changes are intended to align legal appropriations with available cash so the district can pay end-of-year expenses — administration said the transfer and appropriation requests are precautionary but likely needed to cover one more payroll and late 2024 bills.
Votes at a glance (as recorded in the meeting): Resolution 2024-10 (transfer $250,000) — roll-call approval recorded for Lacy Deputy, Misty Jacobs, Jonathan Simpson and Rick (board president); Resolution 2024-11 (adoption/forwarding to DLGF) — roll-call approval recorded for the same members. The meeting transcript records affirmative roll-call responses but does not list a full five-member tally for each vote in the packet.
Other items: The board approved routine consent items during the meeting including minutes, the treasurer’s report, a slate of donations, and personnel actions; those items were moved, seconded and approved by voice vote during the consent portion of the meeting.
The board will submit the additional-appropriation paperwork to the state as required; the district said if the appropriations are not used they will not be spent, and the cash remains in the operations fund pending future decisions.
