3/8/13 - The State Department of Education and the Brighton School Board disagree about how whether the district is running a deficit budget this year, as well as how big that deficit will be. In its quarterly report to the state legislature about deficits among school districts, the Department of Education listed Brighton Area Schools as a Category 3 deficit district. This means according to the department, Brighton started Fiscal Year 2013 with a deficit and will end the year with a greater deficit. Assistant Superintendent of Finance Maria Gistinger says Brightonâs budget does have a projected shortfall of about $425,000, but district officials are optimistic that they will be able to sell the vacant Lindbom School before the end of June. The school is appraised at $2.2 million, and if it is sold the budget will be more than balanced. The remaining revenue from the sale will likely go toward the districtâs $7.4 million legacy debt. However, no bids have been made for the building and the state does not take the revenue from the sale into account. In addition, the report released last month indicates that Brightonâs deficit will actually be nearly $1.2 million. Superintendent Greg Gray tells WHMI the two organizations will have to work together to figure out where the nearly $800,000 discrepancy comes from, possibly at a meeting. Jan Ellis, a spokeswoman from the Department of Education, tells WHMI they only get their numbers from the district, but they may be out-of-date if the district amended or changed its budget without reporting it. The districtâs deficit reduction plan was rejected by the Department of Education on Tuesday for its optimistic enrollment and per-student funding numbers. A new one is due by March 22nd. Also in the report was the Pinckney Community School district, which ended the last school year with a positive fund balance but is projected to end the current school year nearly $2 million in the red. (TD)
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