By JAMES BELL
Hays Post

The Hays USD 489 Board of Education is set to review the 2017 budget at 6:30 p.m. Monday at Rockwell Administration Center, 323 W. 12th.

Tracy Kaiser, executive director of finance and support services, will present the proposed budget.

The board will also vote to approve a public hearing to allow community members to ask budget-related questions at 6:30 p.m. Monday, Aug. 22, in the same location.

According to the district profile within the documents that will be reviewed by the board, the district has faced $2.3 million cuts each year since 2009.

“The teacher shortage in Kansas also continues to grow significantly. If the Kansas Legislature continues down this path of cutting education funding, the harm to the children of Hays and Kansas will be irreparable,” according to the documents.

In that same time frame, the district has made staff and program changes.

“District reductions since FY09 include: Elimination of 70.9 positions – 55 certified, 5 administrative, 18 classified, through attrition and non-renewal – and an additional 14 summer school teaching positions from the elimination of summer school, reduction of numerous supplemental duties, elimination of out-of-district field trips, reduction of the 4 Year Old At-Risk program, increased or initiated gate fees for all activities (including middle school), increased textbook and activity fees, additional kindergarten fee and increased building use fees.”

This year’s budget, however, shows a slight increase in total expenditures across all funds, up 13 percent from last year, totaling $40,888,418.

That’s up from $36,220,518 last year, but still lower than 2009 spending levels.

Two budget areas account for the majority of increase — instruction, and operations and maintenance.

The instruction budget is up 18 percent from slightly over $25.8 million last year to almost $30.5 million this year. The operations and maintenance budget is up 123 percent from nearly $3 million to over $6.6 million this year.

Budget totals bring the spending per pupil up from $12,434 last year to $13,765.

But while total expenditures are expected to increase over last year, total expenditures are expected to remain lower than 2009 levels.

Total expenditures in 2009 were slightly above $41.7 million and amount per pupil spending was $13,434, according to state documents.

Monday’s meeting will stream live on Hays Post, courtesy USD 489.

For a full look at the budget, documents click here.