Carla Clark | For The Republic Kris Fortune, principal Hauser Jr-Sr High School, at left, welcomes students on the first day of school at the Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corporation, Hope, Ind., Wednesday, August 7, 2024.
HOPE – Northeast Bartholomew County taxpayers will have their first opportunity tonight to speak their mind about next year’s proposed $13.06 million budget for the Flat Rock-Hawcreek School Corp. The budget is 5% higher than this year’s spending plan.
A public hearing before the school board will begin immediately when the 7 p.m. meeting gets underway in the board room adjacent to the FRHC central office. The final budget reading and adoption is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 22.
Initially, board members were expected to also take action on the 2025-2027 Capital Project Expenditure Plan and the 2025-2029 Bus Replacement Plan. However, superintendent Shawn Price said those two matters will be postponed until the Oct. 22 meeting.
The proposed tax levy for next year is a maximum $3,480,000 – a 15% increase from the current tax levy of $3,032,120.
“Not a lot of changes with the budget, but everything gets more expensive each year,” Price said.
Over the past few years, the biggest financial change has been raising teachers’ salaries in an effort to maintain experienced, high-quality educators, the superintendent said. Last fall, a 2023-2025 collective bargaining agreement was first approved by the school board before it was ratified by the Flat Rock-Hawcreek Teacher’s Association in early November.
The two-year agreement provided an 8.4% increase in salaries. This year, every certified teacher received a $2,000 increase, raising annual salaries to between $46,000 and $79,200.
While the school board is expected to consider potential raises for non-certified personnel, Price says a decision will likely be made later this fall. Additional funds have also been set aside for the school corporation’s daycare facility for employees with pre-school children.
“So yeah, there is an increase (in spending)”, Price said. “But we are also looking at an increase in revenue.”
Specific allocations included in the proposed budget are:
- Rainy Day: $30,000
- Referendum debt fund – exempt capital: $1,520,000
- Education: $7,885,000
- Operations $2,998,000
The budget also includes $625,761 for debt service next year. Up to $5 million in bonds are expected to be issued to finance high priority projects.
Among the improvements being considered are an upgraded playground, transportation hub, two new school buses, an improved athletic facility, the installation of new student lockers and maintenance work on the parking lots.
If the board gives its permission, the bonds would be paid back over a period of 20 years, Price said.
