Gower 62 Reports Budget Surplus

As districts across the state tighten their fiscal belts, Gower School District 62 can breath easier with a surplus reported at the end of last fiscal year.

"We seem to be very fortunate," Superintendent Steve Griesbach said Tuesday.

The district initially projected a $288,661 surplus when the board authorized the fiscal year 2011 budget last year. But when state funding delinquent from 2010 arrived in July and August, the surplus ballooned to approximately $1.2 million. Gower's fiscal year starts July 1.

"We've always been conservative in our revenue projections and we've been more liberal or worrisome in our expenditures," he said. "We've been in the black now for the last nine years so that's a very good thing."

While school board member Joe Schulte said the news was "positive," he asked if the school district was too thrifty in its budget planning last year.

"When you have a surplus like this ... a question comes to mind, 'Did we underspend in other areas?"

2011-12 Budget Approved

Gower Director of Financial Services Vesna Nikolic then presented an approximately $13.5 million budget for the 2012 fiscal year, which was approved unanimously Tuesday. Gower budgeted for approximately $12.8 million in total expenditures last year.

Nikolic said the key change in the 2012 budget is a board decision to raise salaries consistent with the consumer price index, which is 2.7 percent. District staff initially budgeted a 4 percent salary increase, and the lower salary expenditure is expected to total approximately $100,000. Gower spent approximately $7.87 million in salaries in 2010-11.

"That and some supplies," Nikolic said Wednesday. "Basically the major change was in salaries and benefits."

Griesbach said curriculum changes as Gower begins its transitions away from the Illinois Standards Achievements Test (ISAT) and toward would not be reflected too much in next year's budget.

"This is really a year of growth in learning and education, rather than specific actions," he said Tuesday. "Right now, I think specific actions would be around awareness and learning."

The 2012 budget will now be on public display until the Sept. 20 meeting, where the board will be expected to approve it.