The addendum corrects a “cell reference error,” which resulted in the FY2011 budget (presented to the BoE on January 7, 2010 – approximate starting page 230) containing a deficit in excess of $740,000. With the corrected “cell reference,” the budget now carries a surplus in excess of $705,000, assuming correct property tax revenues. The deficit document was available to Chris Krug prior to writing his column and is, ostensibly, how he garnered information on the budget cuts. The linked document contains information on various cuts, including text books.

The BoE should, ideally, have contacted Krug for a correction, citing the “cell reference error” as stated in the addendum. However, it instead entered a public forum and presented an argument that does not agree with its internal documents. According to the column writer, this deficit was the result of a “necessary accounting shift,” yet, according to the internal document, it was the result of a “cell reference error” due to improperly considered tax revenue. In this case, it cannot be both.

I would like to take this moment to remind you that the purpose of this post is not, in fact, to comment on the finalized budget of Consolidated School District 158. It is to address the lies presented in a public forum from a district representative. BoE documents did, in fact, reflect a potential $7.1 million dollar deficit. Whether it is a “working document” or not, this document was presented to the Board as a “scenario,” suggesting, if not implying, this was an expected outcome for the FY.

The document Cal Skinner posted in his blog was not a budget, but a planning tool for determining when capital project could be scheduled. It was presented for information purposes to the Board of Education a month before the first of five drafts of the 2010-2011 budget was presented for approval. That first budget draft presented to the board didn’t have a $7M deficit.

Yes, Larry Snow was insidious in D158. That’s why the voters got rid of him.