Busing costs on the rise
BY PAM BRANNON Gulf Breeze News news@gulfbreezenews.com

It cost almost $1 million more last school year to transport students in Santa Rosa County School District than it did the year before. School Board members want to know why.

"I know rising fuel costs have a lot to do with it. But at some future date I would like to see a report on how much of this cost is from adding new routes, and how much could be controlled or how much is out of our control," school board member Ed Gray III of Gulf Breeze said.

The transportation figures showing the increase were part of the annual financial statement given to the board on revenues and expenses of the school district over the past fiscal year, which ended June 30, 2007.

"The transportation costs are some of the largest increases in last year's budget," school board president Hugh Winkles said. "I know in the past there have been some suggestions on how to save money in the area of transportation. Like maybe using the three tier system that we have never adopted. Now we have to take a close look at what can be done to cut expenses."

School District Superintendent John Rogers said, "We are putting a lot more district dollars into transportation than five years ago, that's for sure. We do pick up students closer to their homes than the state recommends. But because we don't have sidewalks and have so many narrow or dirt roads, we have been more flexible with our bus stops. With these budget cutbacks for next year, we will have to take a much closer look at what can be done. We may have to change some things, like bus stops."

He said the board would get an analysis of transportation expenses from the staff at a school board meeting soon.

The end of year financial statement for the district showed a total of revenues brought into the district for the year ending June 30, 2007 was $226,974,300, which is up from $203,645,243 from the year before - for an increase of more than $20 million.

Total functions and program expenses for the year ending June 2007 added up to $209,721,524 - again up almost $8 million from the year before.

Pupil Transportation costs added up to just over $13 million for the school year, which was up from just over $12 million the year before..

The report shows that revenue come from three sources - local, state, and federal funding. State funding brings in the largest amount of revenue, adding up to 66.92 percent of the district's revenues. Federal funds funneled through the state are .07 percent of revenues collected, and direct federal funds account for .29 percent. The remaining 32.72 percent of revenues collected to fund the school district is from local sources, like property taxes.

The report stated that "Instructional expenses represent 53.73 percent of total expenses for 2006-07 fiscal year."

Construction in progress on June 30, 2007 includes Bennett Russell Elementary (which opened for school August 2007), W. H. Rhodes Elementary (four classroom additions and sprinklers), Sims Middle School (classroom , tech lab, and sprinklers), S.S. Dixon Intermediate (classroom addition), West Navarre Elementary (classroom addition), and S.S. Dixon Primary (phase four classroom addition).

According to the report , at the end of this last fiscal year the district had a total of long term debt outstanding of $45,624,601. The report said that amount includes just over $8 million in bonds payable and just over $37,000 in certificates of participation payable.

The board also heard that the long standing dispute with one vendor over invoices for hurricane repairs had been settled through mediation by the end of that fiscal year. The final settlement was for a payment of just over $2 million.

The net assets of the district also rose in the last year. The report shows that 77.30 percent of the assets are in investments in capital assets, such as land, buildings, equipment, etc. less any outstanding debt still owed. At the end of last year, by June 2007, total assets added up to just over $206 million, compared to the year before with just over $188 million in assets shown.