School board hears budget update

At the February 18 Hot Springs County School District #1 Board meeting, business manager Chauncy Johnson provided a budget update for the current school year and a look at what 2022 funding might look like.

As the Wyoming State Legislature works through bills that will affect school districts, Johnson provided information regarding how budget cuts could look at HSCSD#1 in the coming year.

Johnson reported that currently, local revenues are down 31% in Hot Springs County. This translates to a deficit of $1,618,339 for the school district going into the end of Fiscal Year 2021. This shortfall will be softened slightly as a result of CARES Act funding from the federal government for Covid-19 pandemic relief. However, it will not make up for the drastic drop. During Fiscal Year 2022, this shortfall will be recuperated from the State as part of the foundation guarantee block grant but ending this year will be tight.

Fiscal Year 2022 looks difficult at best with proposed cuts to education looming. While there are several bills working their way through the legislature, Johnson provided two key figures to look at. A 5% cut would result in a decreased revenue of $551,000 and a 10% cut would result in a decreased revenue of $1,102,236. The legislature is currently proposing cuts of this level based on cutting teacher and administrative salaries as well as school activities funding.

Johnson informed the board that a second round of CARES Act funding would offset some of these cuts for one year and reserves could soften the blow for Fiscal Year 2023. At that point, if the legislature continues with cuts and no solution for increasing revenues, our school district will look vastly different and student opportunities could be limited.