College Community school budget waiting on legislative action

The budget picture for College Community School District is mired in uncertainty, thanks to politicking at the Iowa Legislature.

A report on the upcoming budget process delivered to the board by business director James Rotter during the board's work session Monday had more questions than answers.

The district is waiting for the Legislature to make key decisions on setting allowable growth and deciding the fate of the statewide voluntary preschool program before it can tell what its budget picture looks like.

“What's coming out of Des Moines is telling me that they're a long way away from deciding,” Rotter said.

College Community has had to deal with numerous state shortages over the lsat few years. Rotter calculates that the district has lost more than $3 million during the last four years due to funding shortfalls.

The point currently being debated by the Legislature is whether or not allowable growth for Iowa schools will be set at zero or two percent. The district would prefer the Democratic proposal of two percent, but they still must contend with increasing costs from retirement funds, benefits and step/lane pay increases.

“Two percent would about give us the authority and the cash, without even getting into negotiations, to get to a break even point,” Rotter said.

Board members hoped that the situation in the Legislature would resolve positively, but did not sound optimistic.

“We might be at the point where we're setting the budget in April and the allowable growth is not known,” said Superintendent Richard Whitehead.

During its meeting, the school board approved an agreement with Cedar Rapids Schools to share its swimming facilities. College Community swim teams previousl traveled to Williamsburg and Clear-Creek Amana schools. The district pursued the agreement purely for distance reasons.

School fees for the 2011-2012 were approved with minor increases in Driver's Education, athletic events admissions and summer school bussing. School lunch prices currently are planned to stay at the same level, but could possibly increase depending on the Legislature's school funding decisions, according to Rotter.

The board will next meet March 18.