The School Board will conduct a study session for the 2014-15 budget this evening, April 9, beginning at 5:30 p.m. in the District Learning Center.

This conversation will likely have an impact on agenda items later in the meeting, as the board is also set to issue certified contracts and reduction in force notifications, as well as vote on energy conservation projects and landscaping/playground upgrade options.

The budget-focused study session will be held before the regular meeting, which is scheduled to play host to a couple of policy manual update first reads and a special recognition from Principal Tom Brennan and Dr. Christie Slegers concerning recent science fair projects and winners.

Budget

The local district has suffered budget cuts and teacher layoffs throughout the past several years due to continued declining enrollment and, this year, that doesn’t appear to be changing.

Preliminary estimates show FHUSD could have about $730,000 less to work with next year than the current school year, as presented by Executive Director of Business and Support Services Lisa Martinez during a budget overview at a March 5 meeting.

A large part of a district’s operating budget is determined by average daily membership, or ADM. The current school year’s ADM is 1,819 with the fiscal year 2014-15 preliminary budget set at an ADM of 1,693, or a loss of about 126 ADM.

On average, the district is budgeted $5,000 per student, totaling an expected budget loss of $629,990 for next school year.

Martinez also pointed out that there will be an expected extra cost of $100,000 for staff health insurance, as well as about $3,835 more to cover increased retirement expenses. Added up, that equals an expected shortfall of $733,825 for 2014-15.

Martinez said at the time that the budget and potential cuts were being looked at on a site-by-site basis and that many options were under consideration for reducing the shrinking budget, including vacancy savings, layoffs in administration, certified and classified staff, medical benefits options, co- and extra-curricular expenses in maintenance and operations, software subscriptions, etc.

At this evening’s study session, it is expected that more firm figures, as well as potential action, will be discussed for leveling out the budget for next school year.

Contracts/Projects

Following the budget discussion, the board will discuss several items in the action agenda pertaining to funding for the next school year.

Discussion will begin with the issuance of certified contracts and reduction in force, which is directly impacted by the expected operating budget for the coming school year.

Following discussion at the study session held in late March, the board will also vote on an item pertaining to its Energy Conservation Project, specifically the installation of new HVAC cooling towers and controls.

Finally, the board will discuss two main options pertaining to landscaping and playground upgrades, all funded through voter-approved bond packages in 2013. The difference between the two options is the possible installation of artificial turf at the high school football field.