We noted the existence of "fluff" in the budget.
Phil Frei even acknowledged the presence of "wildcards" in the budget.
Time to start exposing 'em!
Postage - the Perfect Example.
Postage, you ask? Really? That's the best you can do?
Oh...we have plenty more. But let's start with a really easy example.
Open up the
most current version of the 3-year budget comparison report
Look at the 4th line from the bottom of page 2.
line 353 - Postage
3 year average spending: $67,983
3 year range of spending: $67,309 to $68,390 [incredibly consistent!]
Budgeted 2010-11: $69,568
Result: underspent by $2,359
2011-12 budget: $88,280
+$ 18,712 (27%) over 2010-11 budget
So...between under-spending 2010-11 and the 2011-12 budget addition,
that amounts to what most certainly would appear to be $20,000 of fluff
We hear the USPS is having troubles, but have any of you heard of them raising the price of stamps 30%?
Anyone know of any huge mailings coming from the district this year?
Even a suspected spring 2012 referendum for an 8th elementary school wouldn't raise costs 30%!
If it looks like fluff and smells like fluff...it probably IS fluff.
Now many of you will say, as will the Jim McCourts and Phil Freis, "$20,000 is a drop in the hat in a $$72 MILLION dollar budget."
True...absolutely true....BUT....
$20,000 buys 840 hrs of RTI (Response to Intervention) tutoring for students struggling in reading and math.
And isn't THAT worth ferreting out more?The district requested support for $160,000 worth of RTI tutoring funding.
In one fell swoop, we "found" 1/8....12.5%... of the amount desired within the existing budget. No additional tax levy required. And we did it without costing the district one thin dime of a $125,000 salary.
And that was JUST from the postage line.
Ladies and gentlemen...unleash your ferrets!
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