By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays school board will have a hearing on May 18 on a revised budget.
The school board met via Zoom Monday night and broadcast the meeting to the public via Facebook Live to observe social distancing requirements
The district is proposing allowing for spending of an additional $400,000 for at-risk education and another $15,000 for professional development.
Keith Hall, interim director of finance, said the district has enough money in the general fund to cover the additional expenses, which were due in part to pay increases.
The increase in budget authority will not result in an increase in the mill levy.
Once a school district publishes its budget, it can't spend more than that amount unless it conducts another budget hearing and republishes its budget. This is a standard annual procedure for many school districts.
Superintendent Ron Wilson said he hoped school districts across the state will not see decreases in budgets for the coming budget year, but cuts could be on tap for the future.
Kansas will have to fill a $1.3 billion revenue estimate shortfall between now and June 2021 as a result of the COVID-19 crisis.
Wilson noted K-12 education accounts for more than half of the state budget.
"With these decreases, there is definitely the possibility of cuts," Wilson said. "However, these are just estimates. We will have to see how things happen over the next few months."
The state had increased funds to school districts over the last several years to satisfy requirements of a lawsuit. Wilson said state funding had looked positive until about a month and half ago.
"We are hopping for the best, but we will prepare for the worst," Wilson said.
The district will receive some federal CARES Act funding. That money will need to be spent before September 2021. All school districts in the state of Kansas received the CARES funding.
"We are not panicking, but we need to make sure we are acting responsibly," Board President Mike Walker said.