Budget Work for FY 2016-17 Nearing the Finish Line
Thomas Harper, the chief financial officer at DMPS, presents an overview of the school district’s proposed budget at Central Campus.
Last night was the first of three public forums where the preliminary FY 2016-17 budget for Des Moines Public Schools was presented. Turnout was low in the multipurpose room at Central Campus in response to an opportunity to learn about the ways and means of jigsawing together a nearly $700 million puzzle in the face of legislative tardiness and stinginess.
Chief Financial Officer Thomas Harper stressed that the proposed budget, which was drafted assuming a worst case funding scenario of a 1% hike in state aid, will not be revised in the wake of last week’s delayed passage of a 2.25% growth rate.
“There’s no telling whether or not the governor will sign that bill or what will happen,” Harper said.
He also emphasized the importance to the district of securing an extension for the statewide penny sales tax which is currently slated to sunset, or expire, in 2029. Legislation is still pending in the current legislative session that addresses that issue.
Harper explained how the district leverages anticipated revenue from the statewide penny to issue bonds that fund infrastructure improvements at prevailing construction costs instead of a pay-as-you-go approach to projects that would incur higher price tags.
“We probably have one more round of bonding to go and that would be it,” Harper said. “The statewide penny is critical for us.”
The second public forum is scheduled for tonight at 6:15 at North High School. The last one will be Saturday morning at Lincoln High School at 9:00 AM.
Adoption and certification of the FY 2017 budget is on the agenda for the next regular meeting of the school board on April 5th.
