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Schools

After Long Struggle in the Red, Lindbergh Balances Budget

The Lindbergh School Board passed its 2011-2012 budget Tuesday without dipping into reserves.

As expected, the Lindbergh School District has balanced its budget for the coming year without dipping into its reserves.

The district’s board of education gave final approval to a $60.8-million budget on Tuesday—capstoning the nearly three-year effort to pull school finances back into the black that began in November 2009.

School officials credit voter approval of Proposition L in November 2010 with providing the revenue needed to stave off further deficits, . The tax increase helped the district meet its projected $2.1-million increase in operating costs for the upcoming school year.

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“Every board of education has hurdles to overcome, and I think successfully handling the economic downturn will surely be one of the things this board will be remembered for,” Patrick Lanane, assistant superintendent of finance, said.

However, with the exception of funds generated by Prop L, all of the district’s revenue sources continue to decline. In December, , close to the point of borrowing to cover the year’s expenses.

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"We're really smacked because we rely on property taxes," Lanane said in the school board’s December meeting. He said that Lindbergh started feeling the recession before other school districts in Missouri that rely more on state funding. He said that other districts will face millions of dollars of lost revenue from state aid.

Beginning in 2008, the board had combated more than $15 million in lost revenue through nearly $7 million in budget cuts and spending its cash reserves. The budget cuts included the elimination of 60 teaching, staff and administrative positions in 2010.

More recently, , citing doubts about available state funding and ongoing construction.

The district has moved to a four-day operating week for the summer to save money on utilities usage, a policy first adopted in 2010.

Operational expenditures in the new budget are projected to be $59.4 million, an increase of about $2.1 million from this past year. This increase is being spent in part on the opening of a new middle school to reduce overcrowding at Sperreng Middle.

With Prop L funds flowing into district coffers now, the schools hope to be able to breathe a sigh of relief.

“We are thankful to our community for supporting Lindbergh as we have walked this difficult journey toward a balanced budget,” said Vic Lenz, Board of Education president. “With the passage of Prop L in November, we look forward to maintaining financial health and continuing to exercise financial responsibility for years to come.”

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