Referendum drives District 304 budget

The effects of those "yes" votes in the April building referendum in Geneva District 304 are showing up in this year's budget in a big way.

The spending budget, approved by the school board Monday night, is up 37 percent over last year's actual spending to $141.87 million, as opposed to $103.37 million, for all funds.

Much of that $38 million boost -- $36 million -- is in capital expenses in the site and construction fund. The district is building two elementary schools and renovating others. The two schools will open in 2008 and 2009.

But the district did manage to meet a goal the board set in 2002 -- to fix a deficit in its education fund.

"This is the first year we weren't in a budget reduction mode" for that fund, said Rebecca Allard, assistant superintendent for business.

The district expects to spend $34.75 million on salaries for educators and school support staff, a 10.65 percent increase.

Salaries for all workers, including transportation and maintenance workers, account for 54 percent of the operating funds' expenditures ($40.1 million), with benefits running at about 9.8 percent ($7.25 million).

On the income side of the ledger, the district expects to have $172.99 million coming in. Of that, $84.2 million is money borrowed for the construction projects.

Local property taxes will supply 75 percent of the money going into the operating funds, or $52.66 million. Operating funds include the education, transportation and operations-and-maintenance funds.

The fiscal year began July 1, and ends June 30, 2008. State law gives school districts until the end of their first fiscal quarter to approve a budget.