The Excelsior Springs School District has set its fiscal year 2023 budget.

Overall, that budget is projected to be in the black, according to Travis Hux, district superintendent.

The school board approved the budget June 27 at the Support Services Center, with the budget taking effect July 1. Approval followed a budget-related PowerPoint presentation by Hux.

Hux said the budget – drafted as a “document drastically different than what you’ve probably seen before,” as he put it – was crafted to mesh with the district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP) goals.

“If you remember, earlier this school year, we took the time to renew our CSIP,” he said. “And one of the aspects was to create a budget with the components found in the Meritorious Budget Award. And the Meritorious Budget Award design is meant to be … (so) someone – anyone – can pick up … (the) document and get a well-rounded understanding of the distric before they start looking at the expenses.”

As Hux mentioned, the Association of School Business Officials International offers the Meritorious Budget Award. The organization “provides programs, services and a global network to school business professionals who are passionate about quality education,” its website states.

After providing background on the district’s four funds, Hux shared projections for them. Fund 1 – used to pay for services, supplies and uncertified staff members, and to transfer money for lease/purchase transactions – is projected to have a $7.1-million budget surplus, he reported.

“It’s important to note here the reason why there’s a much higher number in revenue in Fund 1 is because, when we receive our taxes, they get dumped into Fund 1,” he said.

Fund 2 – used to pay certified staff members, specifically teachers – is expected to have a $4.1-million deficit, with money to be transferred into it from Fund 1 to compensate and zero out the balance, Hux said. A negative projection for Fund 2 “is normal,” he said.

Combined, the operational budget for the two funds will be $3 million in the black, according to Hux. Or as he put it, that portion of the budget “is balanced, with a surplus.”

“The reason why I don’t call it a surplus budget is because we need to remind ourselves that the $3-million difference is based on one-time funds that we’re getting this year,” Hux said.

Those funds consist of $1.2 million in Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief III money, another $1.2 million for “pandemic provisions” and $480,000 in state transportation funding, a Power-Point slide showed.

“The nice thing is, if those were gone, we would still have a balanced budget,” Hux said. “So we’re in a nice, safe spot.”

The budget for the debt service fund, Fund 3, will have a projected $64,000 surplus, the report showed. It also projected a $1.1-million negative balance for Fund 4, used to finance capital improvements.

One reason for the deficit is because the budget shows expenses and income for the fiscal year but not income the fund has received from previous years, Hux said. Money received earlier “sits in there like it’s a savings account, if you will,” he said.

Overall, the district budget is expected to run $2 million in the black, according to Hux. In addition, district reserve funds are expected to be at 30.3%, meeting the goal of having at least 20% in reserve funds, he said.

“In short, we’re in good shape,” Hux said.

The budget totals were to be refigured when FY2023 began because “these numbers are old,” the superintendent said. The FY2022 figures were to be finalized, too, he said.

“It’s been fun to finally create my own budget for this school district,” said Hux, who became superintendent in July 2022. “So I’m very excited about that.”

Editor’s note: Million-dollar budget figures are rounded up or down to the nearest 10th.