Revenues up $3.5 million from WBS's original budget

The West Bloomfield Schools Board of Education voted Monday, Feb. 14 to approve a revised budget for the 2010-11 school year, including an increase in revenue of $3.5 million.

According to the revised budget, the general fund revenue for the 2010-11 school year will now be $70.08 million, which is up from the original projected amount of $66.58 million expected in the budget that was adopted last June.

The district also has a negative fund balance of $1.72 million, which is an improvement over the projected original negative balance of $2.97 million, but leaves the district a total of $68.36 million to appropriate.

The majority of revenue in the general fund comes from state sources, which saw an increase in revenue from $46.14 million to $48.62 million, including the state foundation allowance, categorical reimbursements, and grants.

The revised budget would also decrease the total amount of expenditures to $66.57 million, which is down from the originally adopted amount of $67.13 million.

Prior to the school year, the board approved over $8.5 million in budget adjustments for the 2010-11 school year, including cuts of $5.8 million in salaries, wages and benefits, as well as $1.4 million in cuts to elementary, middle school and high school instruction positions.

The district also previously cut two positions in administrative and clerical support for this school year, and cut runs in student bus transportation, including runs for students who live within a one-mile walking distance of their respective school.

The district also combined positions to increase savings, including assigning Blake Prewitt and Thomas Shelton as co-principals for West Bloomfield High School in place of the retired Robert Pyles, and combined the high school’s assistant principal and athletic director positions.