Creating a Safety Net Through Strategic Budgeting
By Mark Staehlin
Controller
Comm. High Sch. Dist. 99
Times are tough. The COVID-19 Pandemic stressed even the strongest public school budgets. Property tax bases were negatively impacted with many commercial and residential property values being reassessed downward. For schools more heavily dependent upon state and federal support, deficits at those levels have grown exponentially. As a result, many schools are searching for actions they can take, to either increase revenues or to decrease expenses, in order to remain solvent. Of course, the best situation would be if you had been able to plan and provide responses for this type of situation years earlier by setting up a series of responsive actions to keep your district afloat when times get tough.