It's hard to believe that we have been in school for nearly five weeks. From a young age I remember people telling me that the older you get the faster time flies. They were right! Each day that passes reminds me how important it is for us to make an impact each day. When you reflect on the week, month, or year think about the number of students you come in contact with and the impact you're making in their lives. I'm proud to be a member of the Fort Family!
Delivering newly employed staff members their first Fort paycheck is one of my favorite things to do as superintendent. It makes for an exciting day!
It has been challenging to balance the budget due to overall decreases in both state and local funding since the 2008 economic downturn. Furthermore, increased expenditures in various areas, including significant increases in insurance costs, has made the budget even more challenging to manage. Thus, in recent years the fund balances have reduced significantly. Below is a list of Fort’s fund balances since 2012.
Fund Balances
Fort Osage receives 51.39% of its revenue from the state. This is a higher proportion than any other district in the area, and it creates significant challenges for Fort each time the state fails to fully fund education. Last week, in order to balance the state budget, the Governor withheld $24.4 million from public schools. Unfortunately, some experts predict that other withholdings are likely once a new Governor takes office. Budget Since June Due to our declining fund balances and the outlook from the state the budget has been reviewed and the following reductions have been made since the June budget adoption:
Throughout the year I will continue to provide budget updates and our plan as we move forward. It is amazing how many activities occur in our school district each week. There are multiple opportunities for parents, patrons, and staff members to support our students outside the classrooms. Supporting our students in their activities makes an immediate impact on building effective rapport that carries over to the school day. Thank you for all you do for Fort students both in and out of the classroom!
On October 1 beginning at 6:00 pm the Education Foundation is sponsoring their annual Red Barn Bash held at Sibley Orchard. The event is a great way to have an enjoyable evening while supporting the Education Foundation that raises money for the students and staff of Fort Osage. Two tickets will be drawn using the random number generator (RNG). For those interested please send an email to [email protected] with 'Barn Bash' in the subject line. Entries will be accepted until Monday, September 26 at 10:00 am.
Give Away prizes are not purchased with District funds. Only Fort Osage employees are eligible to enter the drawing. |
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