Mohonasen at or below the tax cap for 11th straight year
On Tuesday, May 17, Mohonasen voters will head to the polls to decide on a proposed $60.2 million budget for the 2022-23 school year. Because the budget includes a tax levy that is at the district’s state-mandated limit for the year, a simple majority of voters is needed for it to be approved. The Board of Education adopted the budget proposal at its meeting on Monday, April 11.
Voting will take place in the Mohonasen High School Gym from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, May 17. Voters will also be deciding on a bus purchase proposition and two seats on the Board of Education.
The proposed budget includes up to six elementary classroom teaching positions to implement lower class size targets in grades K-6. It also funds a series of positions to support student mental health, address pandemic-related learning loss, and continue academic programs and opportunities for Mohonasen students at all levels. These positions include a high school science teacher, two music teachers, two alternative education teachers, and teaching assistants needed to support academic growth and social-emotional needs.
The new positions, contractual salary increases, healthcare expenses, and growth in fuel costs and inflation in general account for the $3.7 million spending increase in the proposed budget.
However, one-time federal aid and a significant increase in state aid are enabling the district to invest in additional staffing and keep up with cost increases while also proposing a tax levy increase that remains at its limit of 2.74% for next year. This is based on the state’s tax cap calculation.
The state aid increase for next year is primarily driven by the phase-in of the the Foundation Aid formula. The formula was designed to ensure districts have the resources to meet student needs, but like many other districts, Mohonasen has been under-funded for the past several years. The phase-in plan calls for schools to reach their full funding level by 2023-24.
The budget process began with the Board of Education reviewing the district’s multi-year financial plan. This shows the district is in a strong position for the next three years, followed by years with potential challenges if changes are not made in major budget areas. This means that the district will continue to keep a close eye on expense trends, state aid, and other factors, explained Superintendent Shannon Shine.
“We entered the budget development process focused on meeting our students’ immediate needs and long-term sustainability of programs and services. This budget does that,” Superintendent Shine said. “It allows us to reduce K-6 class sizes, address learning loss and meet social and emotional needs. The proposal fits into a long-term plan that shows we are in a strong position now and must continue to proactively plan for the future.”
While state aid will see more state Foundation Aid, it will not be receiving as much as anticipated at the start of the budget process. The reason is because the aid projection was initially based on an enrollment estimate while final Foundation Aid was based on the actual figure. The district was able to offset this loss of expected aid without any impact to its plan for student programs and services by using some funds from savings. These are available to help the district in times when either revenue or expenses fluctuate unexpectedly.