4/9/13 - The proposed 2013-2014 budget for Brighton Area Schools was presented to the Board of Education last night. With planned revenues of $55.3 million and expenditures totaling about $49.2 million, the budget is intended to eliminate the legacy debt that the district has been battling for years. It includes the cuts outlined as part of the recently-submitted deficit elimination plan, including the reinstatement of pay-to-play fees, eliminating teacher positions, and laying off administrators and paraprofessionals. A significant portion of the districtâs revenue in the proposed budget is a projected increase of 728 student FTEâs, despite the fact that most Michigan school districts are losing students. Assistant Superintendent of Finance Maria Gistinger says that gain in students will come from partnerships with schools that are not part of the Brighton district, but which send their students to Brighton for non-core classes like music and art. The districtâs original deficit elimination plan was rejected by the state in part because it included an increase of 1,400 shared-services students, which was deemed unrealistic. Gistinger says a 728 student FTE increase next year is realistic with this program, which brought in 80 students its first year and more than 350 in the second. Superintendent Greg Gray also told the board that he was communicating with two potential buyers for the vacant Lindbom School, the sale of which was included in the current fiscal year. (TD)
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