The Culver Community School Board members opened a public hearing Monday night on the proposed 2023 budget, Capital Projects Plan and Bus Replacement Plan.
According to the Notice to Taxpayers information on Indiana Gateway and Business Manager/Treasurer Casey Howard, the total budget is about $15.7 million with $2.6 million in the Referendum Fund, about $1.7 million in the Debt Service Fund, $400,000 in the Rainy Day Fund, just over $6 million in the Education Fund, and just over $5 million in the Operations Fund.
Howard commented that the budget includes state tuition of $6,235 per student in grades K-12, which is an increase from 2022. She estimated an enrollment of 750 students in the school corporation. The Average Daily Membership, or official student count day, which was scheduled for Friday, September 16, was said to be above that estimated amount, but it has not been certified with the state.
The estimated proposed tax rate is .08201, but Howard said that will likely be adjusted by the Department of Local Government Finance. Howard said it is the hope to capture the maximum allowable levy with the advertised budget.
The board also reviewed the 2023 Bus Replacement Plan. Howard explained that the corporation replaced two buses this year and sold a bus which was not replaced. As a result, four buses will be replaced in 2023. The corporation usually advertises the replacement of three, but there is hope to replace the bus that was sold. It does not change the rotation of the buses. They need to be replaced every 12 years.
The three-year Capital Projects Plan includes projects and how to afford the projects and when to schedule them. Howard said some bigger items in the plan over the next three years include playground equipment, air handlers, 35 additional security cameras, access points, interior door replacement, desk replacement, football press box, remove the suspended ceiling in the high school gym, and track resurfacing.
The budget will be adopted during the board’s next meeting on Wednesday, October 5 at 7 p.m. ET.
The public hearing was closed with no comments from board members. There were no members of the public present to comment.
Later in the meeting, resolutions to adopt the Capital Projects Plan and the Bus Replacement Plan were unanimously approved by the board.
