Garfield Re-2 Policies

DB

The annual budget is the financial plan for the operation of the school system.  It provides the framework for both expenditures and revenues for the year and future years and translates into financial terms the educational programs and objectives of the district. 

The superintendent or designee is directed to develop, subject to annual approval by the Board, a multi-year budget plan that assures the future financial viability of the district and achievement of the district’s objectives and takes into account future revenue, including tax and non-tax revenue, and future increases in operating expenses.

Budget Process

Public school budgeting is regulated and controlled by statutes and by requirements of the State Board of Education that prescribe the form of district budgets in order to ensure uniformity throughout the state.

The budget shall be presented in a summary format that is understandable by any layperson.  The budget format shall itemize expenditures of the district by fund and by student.  It shall describe the expenditure and show the amount budgeted for the current fiscal year and the amount budgeted for the ensuing fiscal year.  When budgeting for any enterprise funds, the district shall use the full accrual basis of accounting. The budget shall summarize revenues by revenue source and expenses by fund, by function, and by object.

The budget also shall disclose planned compliance with spending limitations outlined in Article X, Section 20, of the Colorado constitution, including holding TABOR reserve funds in an unrestricted general fund or in cash funds.

The Board assigns to the superintendent overall responsibility for annual budget preparation, budget presentation and budget administration.  As part of the superintendent’s budget responsibility, the superintendent shall cause to be prepared a budget preparation calendar that shall ensure that all deadlines established by law for budget presentation, hearings, and adoption and for certification of amounts to be raised by school tax levies are met by the school district.  The budget calendar shall take into consideration the possible need to submit a request to raise additional local revenue to a vote by the district’s electorate.  The superintendent shall have the authority to delegate portions of his or her budget responsibility to other district personnel.

The budget prepared and presented by the superintendent shall be consistent with the budget priorities of the Board as established in policy DBD.

Year-end Fund Balance

Maintaining a fiscal year-end fund balance is a beneficial and sound 

financial management practice. The Board of Education assigns to the superintendent or designee the responsibility of accumulating and maintaining a general fund balance amounting to $8 million as of the end of each fiscal year.  This amount will include the emergency reserve required by Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution (Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights). 

The operating reserve is intended to serve as a “rainy day” fund and will be used only for an unexpected loss of revenue, or an extraordinary expenditure.  Expenditures from the year-end fund balance shall be reported to the Board. 

If any part of the year-end fund balance is used in any fiscal year to cover an unexpected loss of revenue or an extraordinary expenditure, funds will be reallocated to restore the year-end fund balance in the operating reserve before any other budget allocations in the subsequent fiscal year, unless the Board of Education approves otherwise. 

Capital Projects Fund

Maintaining resources in the Capital Projects Fund is a beneficial and sound business practice and protects the public’s investment in school district facilities.  The Board directs the superintendent or designee to budget an amount up to $800 per student each year to the Capital Projects Fund accounts for capital outlay expenditures authorized in state law.  The amount transferred from the general fund may be reduced by any money collected from the sale of land, buildings or both or any payments collected from the dedication of lands or voluntary contributions from a developer.

Adopted: September 12, 1989

Revised: August 1994

Revised:     September 26, 2006

Revised:     December 2009

Revised:     August 14, 2012

LEGAL REFS.:  C.R.S. 22-11-302 (1)(a) (district level accountability committee budget recommendations)

C.R.S. 22-11-402 (1)(a) (district level accountability committee budget recommendations)

C.R.S.  22-32-109 (1)(b) 

C.R.S. 22-44-101 through 117  (school district budget law, Board shall cause a proposed budget to be prepared and shall adopt a budget for each fiscal year)

C.R.S. 22-44-106 (operating reserve)

C.R.S. 22-44-301 et seq. (Public School Financial Transparency Act)

C.R.S. 22-45-103 (1)(c) (authorized expenditures from capital reserve fund)

C.R.S. 29-1-103 (3) (budget to reflect lease-purchase payment obligations)

CROSS REF.: DB subcodes (all relate to the budget)

Garfield School District No. Re-2, Rifle, Colorado