The North Judson-San Pierre School Corporation’s efforts to cut spending are having a positive impact on the corporation’s budget. That’s what Business Manager Guy Richie told the Starke County Council Monday during a hearing on the corporation’s 2018 budget proposal. “The last few years, we were pretty bleak when we’re coming in here and explaining we’re losing all our kids and such,” he said. “But for this past year, our cash balance ended with $559,000, as compared to $182,000 the year before in 2015. So we did gain $377,000.”
He attributes the increase to the large number of staff cuts the corporation has made in the past couple years. “In 2016, we had the lowest revenue that I can find on record, which was just $7 million,” he explained. “But the good thing about that, we only spent $6.6 million, as compared to $8.2 million the previous year and $9.2 million in 2014. So our reductions have been taking a very good effect on us.”
Superintendent Dr. Annette Zupin said balancing the budget takes the help of the entire corporation. “I can tell you at the school corporation, I think instead of sulking in the demographics, the projected population numbers for our county, we’ve decided to manage the decline, and make sure that staff and student ratios kind of match,” she said.
Zupin said it’s too soon to know for sure, but she’s anticipating steady enrollment this year, with no significant declines expected.
No members of the public offered any comments during Monday’s hearing. Budget adoption is scheduled to take place during next month’s county council meeting.
