The budget for the year of 2012 was approved by the Culver Community School Board this week, with one disappointing detail: a loss of $558,000 in funding compared to last year. According to Superintendent Brad Schuldt, this decrease in funding is due to a number of reasons.
The restoration grant from the state has been reduced to $0, as well as the small schools grant. In addition, the change in the formula used to calculate funding for schools was changed at the state level, and declining enrollment due to a variety of reasons also played a part in the decline of funding.
The total tax rate was approved at $0.49, but that rate is expected to decrease. Last year, the tax rate came out to $0.39, and this year’s rate is expected to drop near that figure.
In 2010, the general fund budget was a whopping $8.2 million. This year, it has been reduced to $7.2 million—a drop of one million dollars over three years.
Schuldt also mentioned the drop in enrollment was caused by parents choosing Winamac or other schools for their children. Last year at this time, 1018 students were enrolled; this year, that number is down to 956—a drastic cut of 62 students, costing the corporation a large chunk of federal funding.
