Gone, Baby, Gone

How did Sun Prairie fare with respect to the eagerly anticipated July 1 DPI general aid estimates?
Let's answer that question with another question:  How accurate/reliable has the quality of data and projections from the district been?
Answer that question, and you have your answer to the first question

Of course, if you've been stranded in Siberia for the last 6-12 months, let us just give you the answer right between the eyes.
In their Traveling PowerPoint Budget Show, Jim McCourt and Phil Frei have told us that their ACME crystal ball projected that we'd see a 4% reduction in our state aid.
Survey says: * buzzer sound *   a 6.25% reduction.

What does a 6.25% reduction (instead of 4.0%)  in state aid mean?
A unanticipated revenue loss of $731,650

Remember that "unallocated" $725,000 in the budget?  Gone, Baby, Gone
Remember that "wish list" of $600,000 in additional spending for which the $725,000 was earmarked?
Gone, Baby, Gone.

And THIS is why the district should have postponed it's June 16th budget hearing until AFTER this information was received.  Now they will have to scramble to try to spin this mess for the July 18th budget hearing.

We really need to get better, more reliable, more accurate data and projections out of the district office.  We spend a lot of taxpayer dollars on salaries. In theory, those expenses should net us better information than we are receiving.