District spends carefully to benefit students
Every dollar that we spend ends with a student’s success. We do not take this responsibility lightly. We make informed and data driven decisions, and we are transparent with our finances.
Public school districts in Ohio are funded with a combination of local property tax dollars and state funds. We also receive some federal funds either through competitive processes, or as a need-based entitlement grant, but these funds are for specific programs and are received for a short term. Because the source of nearly every dollar that we receive is a taxpayer, we are obligated to spend those funds with care and with purpose.
How our mission is relevant to our budget
Our mission is to partner with the community to provide an enriching educational experience to all students, within a safe stimulating environment; and to promote the ideals of individual responsibility, civility and academic excellence as the foundation for both personal growth and honorable citizenship.
At the core of this mission is our commitment to people. Not just the students we educate, but also members of the community we serve. Many work in our school district. They volunteer in our classrooms. These people are at the heart of our school pride and at the heart of our financial success.
School district budgets are primarily spent on people, their wages and benefits. These are the people who impact our students’ lives. Our budget also includes funding to maintain and keep safe our school buildings, playgrounds, athletic fields and facilities and fleet buses.
On financial statements these are called capital assets. They all contribute to our students’ success.
It sometimes surprises people how little of our budget is spent on other things like Chromebooks, library books, maps, pianos, and many other essential tools for education.
How budgets are prepared and approved
Throughout the school year the finance staff prepares a budget for each school building and department. We prepare a five-year forecast to plan for budgets in future years. We prepare appropriation measures to guide and limit our spending and a tax budget that drives our appropriations in each fund. We present this information at Ravenna School District Board of Education meetings throughout the year in order to discuss the financial impacts on our district and on our students. We are continuously reviewing our budget versus actuals, and adjusting if necessary. At the end of each month we balance our books, and this information is also presented at our board of education meeting.
Public school finances can be displayed on spreadsheets and graphs, with charts that show expenditures rising while revenue remains primarily flat. But that’s not the end of the school finances story.
Public school finance should ultimately be counted in student successes – in classrooms, on athletic teams, in music and theater performances, and in the character we see every day in great children in our community.
That’s the real purpose and dividend of our school budget – helping Ravenna students build character and prepare for rewarding careers and lives ahead.
Candi Lukat is treasurer of the Ravenna School District.