West Central School Board Prepares for New School Funding Structure

The West Central School Board is moving forward with preparations for the corporation’s 2019 budget. A major change from the current budget is the consolidation of four of the corporation’s funds into two, as part of Indiana’s overhaul of the school funding structure.

Board members passed a series of three resolutions Thursday to prepare for the change, according to Superintendent Don Street. “One is to establish the Educational Fund and Operational Fund, starting on January 1 of 2019,” he explains.

The other two resolutions allow money to actually be placed in the new funds. “Based on House Bill 1009, it requires that the General Fund balance be transferred into the Educational Fund,” Street says, “and that the balance of the Bus Replacement, Transportation, and Capital Projects [funds] be transferred to the Operational Fund on January 1 of 2019.”

West Central’s 2019 budget calls for an Education Fund of just over $5 million and an Operations Fund of about $3.5 million. Other than the new funding structure, Street says the proposed budget is very similar to what it’s been in the past. But he says it does have to increase slightly to keep up with rising costs. “It’s all based upon assessed valuation,” Street explains. “So if an assessed valuation was at $100,000 for ’18 as well as ’19, so that there’s consistent assessed valuation, we’re looking at a slight increase of approximately $31, which probably would be equivalent to a pizza and an order of breadsticks.”

Street says there were no comments from the public during Thursday’s hearing on the 2019 budget. Budget adoption is set for Thursday, October 4.