06/17/2015 – Called Meeting
Agenda Item – Final Adoption of FY2016 School District Budget
Adopted Tentative Consolidated Budget FY2016 (June 1, 2105)- Adopted FY2016 General Fund Proposed Budget Summary
Related Documents
Tenative FY2016 Anticipated Funds and Budgeted Expenditures
Proposed FY2016 Budget Summary
Proposed FY2016 Lowest Paid Employees Budget Recommendation
Advertised Property Tax Increases
DeKalb Schools 2015 Evaluation of Digest
Preparatory Q&A with DeKalb Schools
Question: Value of a mill based on the projected tax digest for the coming fiscal year?
Answer: The value of a mill using the “2015 TAX DIGEST AND 5 YEAR HISTORY OF LEVY” is $18,775,885.
Question: How much to go from the 4/3/2 plan to giving everybody a 4% COLA?
Answer: It will cost an additional $4,851,209 to give all employees a 4% salary increase.
Question: The initial projected cost of the 4/3/2 plan?
Answer: The original cost of the 4-3-2 plan is $22,473,070.00 based on the T-sheet from our website. The $2.66 million is in addition to this cost.
Note: From MICHAEL THURMOND
The impact of 4% for all employees has a General Fund impact of $4,851,000. This amount is in excess of what we have in as the 4/3/2/ Plan.
Additionally, the “E Scale” (all employees on the Teacher Salary Schedule) option has been quantified and grouped by years of service as – 6yrs or more = 4%; 0 to 5yrs = 3%; all other employees at 2%. The impact to the General Fund of this option is $780,196 is in excess of
what we have in now as the 4/3/2 Plan.
Finally, another option we were asked to quantify was: 4% for all employees with 6 or more years of service and 3% for all employees with 0 – 5 years of service. The impact of this option on the General Fund is $2,663,033. The other major funds would be impacted to a lesser extent, and would cover the additional salary expense (above what is already in for the 4/3/2/ Plan) from their own revenue.
Question: The news announcement says “Superintendent Michael Thurmond recommends “assignment” of $10 million in the proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2015 – 2016 to reestablish a DeKalb County School District supported retirement option for all employees.” Is this for “all employees” or just employees covered under PSERS?
Answer: A definitive plan has not been developed and will require deliberations and actions by the Board of Education and the Superintendent. Employees will be made aware of plan options once they have been finalized.
Please be advised that employees covered under PSERS still have the current BOE TSA. The BOE currently contributes 8% for these individuals. It was only suspended in 2009 for employees covered under TRS.
Summary:
Dr. Bell – We slightly modified the tentative budget as presented on 06/01/2015. There are some important modifications the superintendent has directed me to make.
The consolidated budget summary sheet is quite similar to the last one presented. The biggest change is an expansion of the 4-3-2 plan. I would like to draw your attention to the 3 asterick (***) note at the bottom of the page which indicates that the teacher scale employee modification of the previous 4-3-2 plan would increase the size of the general fund by $780K. At the superintendent’s direction, we will fund this increase with the defunding of the $1.1 million for Gateway to College charter school which we incorrectly funded. The difference will be left inside the charter school division.
The $10 million for the pre tax retirement option has not been developed but is budgeted for and on the table.
“Extremism in defense of liberty is no vice. Moderation in pursuit of justice is no virtue.”