By By JAMES COLLINS / Niles Daily Star
NILES -- The Brandywine Public Schools Board of Education unanimously approved a preliminary budget for the 2004-2005 school year on Monday.
With $11,340,987 in expected revenues and $11,650,224 in expenditures, the budget, which will take effect on July 1, anticipates taking $309,237 out of the district's reserves..
Brandywine director of finance Gustave Damaske gave the annual budget presentation at a special budget hearing prior to the regular board meeting.
He announced some of the revenue assumptions of this year's budget including the state's $6,700 per student foundation grant; a 1,530 blended pupil count; 18 mills to be levied on non-homestead property; a 25 cent increase on meal prices; and a 4.85 mill levy on all property for the bonded debt retirement fund.
Some of the changes in expenditures include an increase of 17-18 percent on benefit insurance premiums and a 14.5 percent increase in retirement rates.
The board also approved the final budget modifications for the 2003-2004 budget.
Interim superintendent Gary Campbell said these modifications are something that must be done throughout the year to account for unexpected changes in revenues and expenditures. He said the district would be moving to quarterly modifications for next year's budget.
Damaske also gave the board an update on the facility improvement construction, which recently began throughout the district.
The pump for Brandywine Elementary's water system failed just a few days after school ended and Damaske announced that the district will proceed to connect the school to a municipal water source, along with the two other schools in the district.
It was also announced that because of the extensive construction taking place at the Brandywine Middle/High School, the rest of the summer's board meetings will take place at the Bell Education Center.
Monday night's meeting marked the final board meeting for Campbell, who said he will miss being a part of the district.
Recently hired superintendent Gary Rider will begin his role as Brandywine superintendent on July 1 with his first board meeting on July 6.