Las Lomitas district budget predicts surplus Las Lomitas district budget predicts surplus (August 04, 2004)

By David Boyce
Almanac Staff Writer

The financial forecast is looking brighter for the Las Lomitas Elementary School District over the coming 12 months. More revenues are expected than during the past fiscal year and the district could add to its reserve.

Las Lomitas' 2004-05 budget projects spending of $11.67 million on revenues of $11.96 million. Property tax revenues -- at $6.9 million, the district's largest revenue source -- are expected to rise by about $268,000, or 4 percent, said De Modderman, the district's business manager. The surplus could push the reserve past $950,200.

Another $786,800 is anticipated from the $196 parcel tax, used for salaries, student programs and other operating expenses. The tax expires in 2008. Last January, the school board considered, then dropped, an idea for an additional $98 parcel tax, reasoning that the need was not great enough to ask voters for more.

The Las Lomitas Education Foundation will contribute $880,000, an 18 percent increase, for library books, class-size reduction and other school programs, Ms. Modderman said. Asked about the substantial increase, she replied: "It's just a lot of hard work on the foundation's part."

Higher utility bills

Some costs are rising, but planned expenses are 4 percent lower than last year, Ms. Modderman said. Because of a periodic peak in spending last year for books and supplies, the district plans to spend about $90,000 less on these items, a 19 percent reduction. The same is true for conference and workshop spending, which would fall by 39 percent to about $25,600.

Utility bills and some employee benefits costs are likely to be higher. With all classrooms now equipped with air conditioning, electricity costs are expected to jump 25 percent to $273,000, Ms. Modderman said.

Two employee benefits are expected to rise sharply: unemployment insurance -- up 123 percent to $51,036 -- and workers' compensation insurance, expected to jump 43 percent to $262,054.

Teachers and other staff will receive automatic increases in return for their career-development efforts, but salary negotiations are not yet complete, Ms. Modderman said.

The district plans to restore staffing cuts made last year to the music and elective programs.

Next year, the Las Lomitas district plans to enroll 1,041 students, most from Atherton and Menlo Park, along with about 90 students from the Ravenswood City School District in East Palo Alto who attend through the Tinsley Transfer desegregation program.

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