NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
BUHLER, Kan. — The Buhler USD 313 Board of Education will have a hearing on the 2022-2023 budget before their regular meeting Monday night.
"This is a re-publish of this year's budget," said Shane Hecox with USD 313. The majority of school districts this year are having to republish, because, one major reason is, the state allowed Medicaid recertification to qualify for our at-risk numbers. Almost everybody, every district probably underestimated their at-risk numbers in their general fund budget, when they did their budget back in July."
At-risk numbers give schools additional funding for poor students.
"We actually had quite a few more additional virtual students, as well, that we under reported in our original budget," Hecox said. "It's still a big deal, but it's a lot lesser of a deal than it was in July and August, when we do our revenue neutral rate hearing and our budget hearing. It's important to note, I think, that this doesn't affect our local mill levy or anything like that. This is simply republishing to get all the general fund dollars that we possibly can."
Also, there is still one number out there that must be added in later, though they will publish for right around $17.4 million in general fund dollars.
"That is a little bit high, now," Hecox said. "We always want to overestimate a little bit. When Special Ed all comes out in the wash, we'll get our final, final number by the end of June, but this gives us enough buffer to get all of our general fund dollars."
The budget hearing is at 5:55 p.m. Monday at the Burkholder Administrative Center in Buhler.
CLICK HERE to download the Hutch Post mobile app.
CLICK HERE to sign up for the daily Hutch Post email news update.