Posted: June 2, 2009

As the Greendale School District continues deliberations over its 2009-10 budget, officials say its finances are in good shape despite the economic recession now pounding the public sector.

The School Board recently reduced next year's budget by about $242,000, a big reason why administrators have been able to maintain a balanced, Business Manager Erin Green said.

The wide range of cuts includes reducing the custodial budget by $100,000 and restructuring the technology department. Other smaller cuts include reducing substitute teachers and employee travel to cutting back on copier paper.

A preliminary budget, to be presented to the School Board later this summer, will likely include a proposed 6 percent increase in the property tax levy, which last year was $15.1 million.

However, the district may wind up with a budget surplus to drop the number to 3 percent, Green said. A bigger increase could possibly be avoided through debt management measures, budget cuts or allowing more students to attend through the state's Open Enrollment program, officials said.

Though Greendale has not been immune to the recession and decreased state aid, administrators "have saved for a rainy day," Green said during the School Board's meeting Monday.

Careful planning and fiscal conservatism over the last several years have helped keep the district in good financial standing, officials said.

"We're going into this in the best shape possible," Green said.

The positive outlook comes despite the state's well-documented economic hardships.

After the most recent state budget deliberations, Greendale school officials believe the district will get about 3.1 percent less in state aid than last year. The figure will not be finalized until the state budget is passed later this summer.

The district must also decide what to do with $760,000 in money it received from the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The bulk of Greendale's allotment - about $626,000 - is designated for special education programs.

But Superintendent William Hughes said he is in no rush to make any decisions.

"What I want is flexibility with this money and (to) not be in a hurry to spend it," he said.