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Trinity board should review facts

2 min read

The Trinity Area School Board continues to bombard the public with claims about the district’s dire financial condition. This is nothing but a veiled attempt to get the residents of the district to support a tax increase for the next six to eight years.

There are a number of facts we should review before we decide whether or not to support this plan to spend more and more of our money:

• From 2011 to 2014, spending has increased by $7 million, or 16 percent. During the same time period, revenue from the state increased by 5 percent each year. In addition, revenues from earned income and mercantile taxes increased by $2.5 million.

• In 2011, the district had a surplus of $4.7 million. This included money in the fund balance, the capital improvement account and the pensions savings fund.

• Enrollment in the district has decreased from 4,300 students about 20 years ago to 3,250 students. In light of this, the prior board reduced the number of staff from 265 to 241, which created an annual savings of $1.5 million,

• The bond issue for the renovation of Trinity High School should mature in the next several years. This will provide an annual savings of about $5 million.

• A high percentage of senior citizens living on fixed incomes are in the district and they cannot afford the district’s spending plans.

• In an article in the April 13, 2013 edition of the Observer-Reporter, retiring business manager Jim Shargots said the district was “financially stable,” and has maintained a fund balance of about $2.7 million for the past six years. This did not include the capital improvement or pension accounts.

As the current board deliberates about the 2015-16 budget, let’s ask them to consider these facts and justify any tax increases they intend to impose upon the residents of the district. I would hope the board is looking at alternatives, such as wage freezes, staff reductions, closing buildings, having health insurance be self-funded by all employees, and so on.

Tom Bodnovich

Washington

Bodnovich is a former member of the Trinity Area School Board.

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