Board to Host Community Meeting on District Finances
Scheduled for Tuesday, April 13 at 7:00 at SVHS
April 03, 2010
The Meridian School Board will host a community meeting on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. at the Stillman Valley High School multi-purpose room regarding the District's finances. Due to a significant reduction in state funding in education for the current year and next, the School Board has scheduled this meeting for the purpose of presenting the District's current financial situation to the community and the potential impact of reduced revenue streams. The Meridian School Board is also interested in soliciting community feedback and comments regarding this issue. Like almost all school districts in Illinois, significant challenges and decisions appear likely in the face of reduced school funding. The Meridian School Board will appreciate the effort of any community members who can attend to learn about the District's finances and provide feedback. If possible, please RSVP to the District office by contacting Donna Fruin at (815) 645-2606 or by e-mailing to dfruin@mail.meridian223.org.
Based on the Governor's budget proposal, the Meridian School District stands to receive approximately $1.5 million less in state revenue next year. The state is also behind in approximately $500,000 of payments to our District this year. Due to conservative budgeting and effective financial planning over the past several years and "belt tightening" for next year (2011-2012), the Board does not plan to make significant staffing or programming changes for the next school year. However, if the state's capacity to fund schools continues to diminish, significant reductions in programs and staff will be likely for the 2012-2013 school year. The presentation on April 13th will provide some of the background financial information and begin the planning process for working through some significant financial challenges.
