School budget gets prelim approval

Notice

David Schaef update: (12/05/23)

I spoke with David yesterday. He had just arrived at the Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital in Erie.

There are still a couple of issues to resolve, and David is optimistic that Encompass has the skills. We didn't speak much of medicine and health, most of the conversation was about our subscribers and the Community News newspaper.

I was much encouraged by the tone of his voice and the idea he was interested in talking about Community News. So, he’s at that, “I want to get back to work” stage of healing.

He talked about his subscribers and a letter he is composing for them. He talked about how to proceed with the newspaper when he gets home.

He said he hopes to be home in 2 weeks.

Thank You all for your Love and Prayers and Well Wishes.
Tom Deighton

Details: Written by DAVID SCHAEF DAVID SCHAEF; Created: 16 May 2016 16 May 2016

As noted in these pages last week, a proposed budget for the Conneaut School District for the year to begin July 1, was adopted at the regular voting meeting of the board last week and does not contain a tax increase.

While expenses exceed income, the difference can be made up using fund balances, plus the budget to be approved must address staffing in which it appears that three teaching positions will not be filled following retirements. That savings could be in the neighborhood of $381,225 which would cut a projected deficit of $509,000 to about $127,775.

An original budget put together back in the early days of this year contained a deficit of nearly $1.5 million which has been whittled to the $509,000

Cuts in the budget over 10 budget meetings of the finance/budget committee of Jody Sperry,Dot Luckock, and David Schaef, meeting with department heads, principals, administrators, and central office staff, has come up with those cuts which include cutting shuttle bus runs [taking students back from high school to middle schools following practices at the high school] close to $30,000; tuition reimbursement, cut of $227,038; middle schools, $46,000; CASH, $20,287; athletics, $24,850; music/band, $17,250, which will include the high school band not attending away football games [also the football cheerleaders not attending away games]; business office/superintendent’s office, $17,600; and a savings of $14,121 by doing away with winter cheerleading - boys basketball and wrestling cheerleaders.

It was proposed to save another $12,657.97 by not renewing membership in the state wide Pennsylvania School Board’s Association, but on a 5-4 vote school board members voted to renew the yearly membership.