RCS Budget for 09/10

Many residents of Rockingham County want to know about the budget for the Rockingham District Schools. The budget information for 2009/10 is posted for your information.

$84,468,398 State Funding

$24,067,915 Local Funding (Includes $15,981,873 County appropriation)

$10,146,704 Federal Funding

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$118,683,017 Subtotal

$1,269,775 Capital outlay (County Funding)

$6,985,450 Food Service Funding (Self Supporting)

$697,655 Special Funding

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$127,635,897 Total

The state funding is specified, as are the federal funds. The county funding is more discretionary and is directed to needed areas as determined by the school administration.

The funding from the state for the budget in 2009/10 was cut due to the recession. The millions of dollars in cuts have impacted the local budget where about 70% of the expenditures are on personnel. These cuts have severely affected personnel levels but the superintendent’s visionary approach and conservative fiscal budgeting has allowed him to use the fund balance he built up to carry personnel levels until normal attrition can compensate for the lower numbers. This has not eliminated the pain but has stabilized the school system and provided for an orderly and less traumatic implementation of the cuts.