By Shelby Stewart-Soldan
Staff Writer
Brandon Twp. — On Oct. 18, at the Brandon Board of Education meeting, Chris Kassob of Plante Moran presented the school district’s annual financial statements and auditor’s report for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023.
The board voted 5-0 to approve the audit. Board members Jeff Zielke and Kim Smith-Kulaga were absent with notice.
According to the audit for the fiscal year 2022-23 the general fund revenues of $30,631,550 with expenditures of $31,622,590 and additional uses of $75,000, increased the fund balance by $129,384 to a total of $4,328,623. The fund balance is about 14.2% of expenditures.
“The last several years have remained steady. It’s been the district’s policy that any surplus in the general fund has been transferred out to help pay for the installment purchase agreement as well as the energy bond,” said Kassob. “Your fund balance is right around 14.2%, and that’s right around what the Michigan School Business Officials recommends. Quite honestly, not a lot of districts hit that mark, so to be hovering around that mark means you have a really healthy fund balance.”
In keeping with past years, the district had 56.06% of expenditures going back into the classroom with teacher wages, substitute teachers, classroom supplies, textbooks, classroom equipment and furniture. The district has kept the number around 55% for the last ten years.
“What this means is for 56 cents of every dollar that’s spent is benefiting the classroom,” said Kassob. “So that’s going towards teacher salaries, supplies, books, curriculum. And you can see, as the revenue has changed over the years, the district has been good at keeping that allocation towards the instructional expenditures, which is really benefiting the kids in the classroom.”
The audit also showed that, while funding has gone up to $9,150 per pupil, the district is down 44 students, about 2% of the student count. Decline in enrollment is happening across the state.
“Really, this is a state-wide issue,” said Kassab. “Last data I checked, state-wide enrollment was down about a half a percent.”