Valparaiso Community Schools Superintendent Jim McCall and Chief Finance Officer Jim Holifield explained a $99 million 2024 budget at the Sep. 11 Valparaiso City Council meeting, which will have a second reading and vote at the Sept. 25 meeting for final approval.
“We want to assure we provide an excellent return to the community for what they invest with our six tax supported funds, with only our education fund not supported by property taxes but by sales tax,” Holifield said prior to the budget public hearing, which brought no questions or comments.
“The education fund, operations fund, operating referendum, capital referendum, pension debt and debt services comprise our budget. Our teachers’ salaries and benefits comprise more than half of what is included in our annual education fund.”
The 2022 Valparaiso Community Schools budget was $86 million, an increase from the advertised 2021 Valparaiso Community Schools budget which was $79.4 million, with the actual realized budget being slightly less for taxpayers at $79.3 million. The existing 2023 Valparaiso Community Schools budget is $93 million.
Holifield said a budgetary increase was calculated to consider both the increase in student population and the anticipation of an increase of annual expenses.
McCall said the starting annual salary for a new first year teacher is $51,000, compared to the $41,000 salary prior to the COVID-19 pandemic years.
“Even with the increase, we still aren’t able to find teachers due to the shortage in the field,” McCall said.
Council member Diana Reed, D-1, who shares the duties of council liaison to the schools with council member Jack Pupillo, R-4, asked Holifield to elaborate for the public the need for the $6 million increase for the 2024 budget.
“The increase in annual expenses includes the increase in not just the cost of utilities but also the cost for buying new school buses has gone up quite a bit,” Holifield said.
“The lion’s share of this budget increase is that things are just costing more.”
Council member Robert Cotton, D-2, asked McCall to explain the status of the existing capacity for current school buildings and if there might be a “foreseeable need” for a new school building and more classrooms in the immediate future.
“Currently, our existing schools not only already handle our capacity needs right now, but also any future needs we would predict and forecasted future growth,” McCall said.
Since Valparaiso Community Schools has an appointed school board consisting of trustees determined by the Valparaiso City Council and the Center Towship Advisory Board, rather than elected school board members, the school budget and public hearing process is only before the city council for vote of approval, as opposed to being voted and passed for adoption by the school board.
“It’s impressive how well the schools handle our tax dollars,” said Council President Casey Schmidt, R-3, at the conclusion of the budget presentation.
“When it’s an advertised and expected $1.09 tax increase, but it comes in less at 95 cents, that’s an impressive savings.”
Philip Potempa is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
