1. TCPS Financial Management
Positive Results from Good Decisions

2. Head Start
Head Start is a grant of $750,000. It is a federal grant and highly regulated. It cannot be used for TCPS General Fund expenses. It must be used ONLY for Head Start.
It was used prior to OVEC taking it over to pay for 40% of two district salaries. This is because those employees were responsible for managing the Head Start program and the Head Start grant. They spent around 80% of their time with Head Start while only paid for 40%.
TCPS did not “Give up Head Start.” TCPS gave management of the grant over to OVEC. TCPS continues to have a Head Start program in the community.
Early Childhood Education (Head Start and Preschool) in Trimble County has improved greatly since OVEC took over the Head Start Grant.

3. Head Start Prior to OVEC taking over the grant there were:
79 students in Head Start year olds center based and 25 3 year olds home based in and only 15 in preschool for that year of which we only received state funding for 4.
79 students in Head Start year olds center based and 26 3 year olds home based in and only 16 in preschool for that year of which we only received state funding for 6.
Homebased 3 year olds only received 1.5 hours of instruction two times per week

4. Head Start After allowing OVEC to manage the grant.
35 students in Head Start. All 3 year olds year olds center based in and 53 in preschool for that year of which we received state funding for 44.
27 students in Head Start. All 3 year olds year olds center based in and 50 in preschool for that year of which we receive state funding for 40.
3 year olds now receive all day instruction in Head Start four days a week
4 Year olds are now in our preschool program.
OVEC is adding an infant/toddler room that will increase early childhood education efforts even more and will provide a childcare service to the community year round.

5. Preschool Funding Prior to OVEC taking over Head Start:
Preschool Budget was $52,870, State funding granted was $22,942, IDEA funding for preschool was $11,654.
Preschool Budget was $83,809, State funding granted was $45,106, IDEA funding for preschool was $11,654. (General Fund money was not used for this. We used state Flex funds)
Preschool Budget was $193,802, State funding granted was $178,375, IDEA funding for preschool was $11,654. The budget reflects $15,000 from textbooks funding (flex funds) being added to the state funding. (Fully funded by the state.

6. Consolidation of TCMS and TCHS
Decreased energy use at old TCMS building (now the board office) by 32.8%-----saving $12,560.
Largest savings of all buildings in TCPS.
Renting the old board office brings in $7,800 per year to the district
TCPS no longer pays utilities on the old board office.
Allowed the district to save money by cutting 8 positions for and 5 positions for These cut did not cost any employee their job. Positions were not re-filled when employees left or retired.
Consolidation allowed the district to absorb those positions without costing employees jobs or cutting our programs due to pooling our resources into one building.
Able to add reading recovery at both elementary schools. These were not added positions, due to absorbing cut positions these teachers were shifted to reading recovery.
Two full time counselors at both elementary schools. Again due to shifting current employees and absorbing cut positions----not an added cost.

7. District Positions
District Assessment Coordinator position cut at the end of school year.
Special Education Director position contracted through OVEC for a savings of $30,000 for the year

8. Transportation
Saved $95,000 on bus purchase in by purchasing a used bus from another district.

9. Budget
Since school year district has saved $1,100,000 and avoided bankruptcy which would have occurred this school year had no one of the changes mentioned above occurred.
The item of Salaries and Benefits under the General Budget now shows $7,024 in the positive. Evidence that there is no mismanagement at the district level due any of the positions at the board office, reading recovery, elementary counselors, etc.
The district finished the school year with $274,285 more than we were projected to finished with so this amount was carried over into the budget for the school year. More evidence that the district is well managed, not mismanaged.

10. Why raise the Tax Rate if we have saved so much Money?
The over all budget for the is $1,542,334 This is down from $1,836,510---a difference of $294,176. This is due to a decrease in state funding, declining enrollment, and stagnant property assessment.
Without sound management this would have been another $274,285 lower ($1,268,049).
We have 65 students less this year than we did last year. At $3,981 per student in SEEK funding, that is $258,765 less in funding that we will receive this year.
There is a shortfall in SEEK funding, based upon property assessment being lower of $108, we have to pay this. This is the number one reason we must raise the tax rate as this will be paid from the revenue of the tax increase.

11. Why raise the Tax Rate if we have saved so much Money?
Property Assessment was $24,000,000 less than projected.
The assessment rate jumped by 4.02% in It declined by -.40% for This contributes to the $108,000 SEEK shortfall. It also contributes to what the what 4% tax rate must be. In years when this assessment increases, the 4% rate will generally be lower, when it decreases it will be higher. This is compounded by the declining enrollment.

12. Why raise the Tax Rate if we have saved so much Money?
Regardless of what we save each year, every year we will be facing a drop in revenue due to the state continually reducing the funding they contribute.
We have been stating consistently that each year we will see a significant decline in enrollment as well, which drastically reduces our funds.
The only revenues Trimble County has is through Federal and state funding (constantly shrinking), Local taxing, and student enrollment. There is not enough industry here to take the place of taxing.
We are still required to provide the same level of education each year regardless of what the federal or state government provide in funding.