School district approves $73 mil budget

LAFAYETTE, Ind. (WLFI) - The Lafayette School Corporation (LSC) is trying to do more with less in more ways than one.

Even though the LSC's budget for next school year is a fraction of a percentage lower than last year's budget, declining enrollment rates and an increase in health care expenses, along with January's cuts from the state, are forcing the district to save its pennies.

The Lafayette School Corporation Board of Trustees approved the 2011 budget, which is around $73 million with a tax rate around 98 cents.

"As a result of property tax caps, we will probably lose at least $850,000 this year in revenue which begins to reduce the amount of money that is available to do needed repairs on buildings, purchase of technology," explained LSC superintendent Ed Eiler.

Eiler anticipates an increased expense in health care, which he said is about $1 million. Even though enrollment numbers aren't finalized until Friday, Eiler said the district has as many as 200 fewer students than last year. This means the district will see less money from the state when it calculates the funding formula.

The district found out this month it will receive around $1.4 million in stimulus money and is hoping to retain teachers, instead of laying some off at the end of this school year like Eiler has said before.

"Make adjustments with additional state cuts or adjustments we may have to make because of increases in expenses because of a loss of revenue we know of already. That may be to retain other staff not necessarily those staff who were employed under the original stimulus money," Eiler said.

Also approved with the 2011 budget is the demolition of the Pythian Home, which Eiler said is a nuisance to the public because of the liability.

"The most valuable thing for the school district is the land," he explained. "All the interior walls are load-bearing walls with very long, narrow offices. Really it doesn't lend itself for school use."