Gilman residents approve school budget with tax rate increase
The Gilman School Board met on Monday, October 7 for the Annual School District Meeting and Budget Hearing.
District Administrator Walter Leipart broke down the budget for all present, stating that the beginning fund balance for the 2024-2025 school year is $2,481,655.97, which will come up to $7,103,468.69 after all revenues and other financing sources are factored in. With $7,099,143.88 in expenditures and other financing uses anticipated to come out this year, the board expects the ending fund balance to come to $2,485,980.78, leaving an additional $4,324.80 more than the beginning balance.
Gross total expenditures for the 20242025 school year are projected to be at $10,118,522.34, which comes down to $8,840,306.78 when considering interfund transfers.
“Some of it is with a payment from one fund to the other,” said Leipart. “It’s important to point that out because it’s not that we’re spending $10 million.”
The unaudited expenditures from last school year increased 2.70% from the year prior, bringing this year’s increase close to the same percentage. “We have been fiscally responsible trying to maintain a budget.” Leipart cited increases in liability, property, and health insurance payments which were unforeseen expenses this school year.
“We knew in this year that there was going to be an increase,” Leipart said of this year’s tax levy. “The increase actually is lower than what we anticipated.” Leipart stated that the district believed that the levy would come to $7.88 per thousand dollars in tax evaluation, but instead brought it to $7.54 per thousand dollars, up only 65 cents from last year.
Regarding next school year, Leipart stated, “It is going to take more levy in order to maintain the services that are essential.”
Leipart reported than enrollment numbers were higher than expected this year which means that the school will see an increase of $56,625 in base revenue next school year.
Leipart also noted that eSucceed enrollment is down, bringing the anticipated amount from revenues and other financing sources from $811,827.05 (unaudited) last school year to $786,082.05 this year.
Members of the community motioned to approve the 2024-2025 budget.
In other business, board members:
⁃ Re-appointed Cheryl Ustianowski as Chairperson.
⁃ Re-appointed Lauren Zach as Clerk.
⁃ Put the vote to community members to establish board members’ salaries and determined pay for half-day at $50 per board member for under four hours of work and $100 for a full day. The community voted that annual salaries for Board of Education members be set at $2,400 for the president, $2,800 for the clerk and $2,200 for the other board members. The community members present passed this motion.
⁃ Set the date for the next Annual Meeting for October 6, 2025 at 7 p.m.
⁃ Opened the floor for community members to discuss any other matters relating to the management of school district affairs. Fred Romig asked the board to consider putting out quarterly newsletters as they have done in the past, stating that not everyone has access to social media. The board agreed to consider the request. Fred Romig also asked about the PA system in the gym as it was difficult to hear the valedictorian and salutatorian make their speeches during graduation. Leipart reported that the same company who recently installed an improved sound system in the library, which was operational at the board meeting, will be returning to look at the system in the gym.
