SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - An audit of the Schuylkill Haven Area School District revealed a $798,517 surplus for the 2012-13 academic year.
"It's not like that happens every year," business manager Kim Umphrey said Tuesday.
The surplus was discussed Feb. 19 at the school board meeting after an audit was performed by accounting firm Jones & Co.
Superintendent Lorraine Felker said the audit was a routine measure the district does every year.
Umphrey said the money came from a variety of sources, including $175,000 the district overpaid the Schuylkill County Intermediate Unit, a bond refinancing of $100,000 that was not in the budget calculations because it was not finalized, about $100,000 from 2011 earned income taxes to the district that it finally received after taxes paid to Centax, a tax collection company hired by the county to collect the tax, and funding from the Accountability Block Grant of about $80,000 from the state. Felker was thankful for the surplus.
"It's a good situation to have more money then you thought you were going to have," Felker said Tuesday.
As part of the 2013-14 budget, the district had voted in June to furlough seven teachers, demoted two to part time who would spend less time each day teaching, suspended two programs, eliminated a position and amended five job descriptions to reflect changes to technology programs and staffing. Three teachers were later re-instated. Taxes were also increased 0.942 mills, or about $33 for the average house assessed at $35,530.
Of the surplus, Felker said, "We're putting it away for this year's shortfall," meaning the 2014-15 academic year.
Umphrey said a preliminary budget for the 2014-15 academic year has not been voted on yet.
Currently, the revenues are projected at $17,782,156 and expenses at $18,418,065, leaving deficit of $635,909.
The district has a total fund balance of $5,620,494. Of that, $1,538,561 is unreserved. The $700,000-plus figure is included in this amount, Umphrey said.
That is where the money to balance the budget could come from, she said.
The index for the district is 3 percent. The board voted in January not to exceed the index, Felker said.
A tax increase of 1.2057 mills is permitted and would generate about $190,000 for the district, Umphrey said.
It would amount to an increase of about $43 a year for the average home assessed at $35,740 in the district.
In other news, the school board voted to authorize Felker to contact AEM Architects to investigate any needed repairs and costs for the track at Rotary Field at the high school stadium. The track was installed in September 2006.
No decisions have been made yet about fixing the track.
"We're just trying to do some good maintenance and keep it from going bad," Felker said.
The Elementary Center will get wireless Internet throughout the building.
The board voted to authorize Susan Morgan, director of curriculum, instruction and technology, to proceed with outfitting the building with the capability.
About $16,000 had been set aside for the undertaking, Felker said, adding the upgrade is part of a long-term plan to make the entire building wireless. The high school and middle school are already wireless equipped.
Installation in the building will occur in the summer after the students are out of school for the year.
To make up school days lost due to snow and inclement weather conditions, students will attend school on previous days off: April 17, 21 and 22. They will also attend May 9 instead of the previously planned half day. The students will still have off April 18, Good Friday. With these revisions, the school will be able to keep its last day of the school year as May 30.
The calendar will be revised again if needed, Felker said.
School board member Elaine Miller was absent from the meeting, Felker said.