What is the difference between the District’s operating and capital budgets?
The District’s operating budget is primarily funded by state sales and local property taxes. Monies from this budget are used to pay employees’ salaries and to purchase supplies, like paper, envelopes and printer cartridges. More than ninety percent of the District’s capital budget is derived from local property taxes. Monies from the capital budget are restricted to funding building and construction projects, capital improvements, and equipment purchases, including school buses and computers. • How much has the state cut education funding to the District since the past school year? Answer: The District sustained a $94 million state funding cut going into the 2008-2009 school year and an additional $35.6 million state education funding cut in January 2009. Based on these state funding cuts and taking into account the continuing economic decline, the District is anticipating state funding cuts for the 2009-2010 school year to be as much as $160 million. • What initiatives have been unde
