(Anita) At Monday’s school board meeting, the CAM School Board addressed a question about a projection model discrepancy. School district patrons are going to the polls to decide on a $22.5 million bond issue on the General Election Ballot. In July, the Facilities Committee recommended the district reduce the campus to one facility in Anita.
CAM Schools Superintendent Paul Croghan addressed a question on the project models based on the discrepancy between one model released in February and the other in July. He says projections are based on enrollment. The district’s enrollment projections were not as high in February as in July. Croghan says they used the same enrollment for the brick-and-mortar buildings in both predictions. The Connections enrollment changed from 952.50 to 1,020.10 in the Fiscal year 2024 estimate, and then a flat rate of 1,400 in Fiscal Year 2026 to the Fiscal year 2029.
Croghan says the conversations about facilities and efficiencies are based on declining enrollment and the district’s long-term viability. Croghan says the other change in the two projections is the estimated unspent budget authorization in FY 24. February’s line was $2,527,065, and July’s was $5,726,649. Regardless, both projections show a downward trend in the unspent budget authorization: February in FY26 and July in FY27.
Croghan says the Certified Annual Report was filed this year before the September 15th deadline. FY24’s unspent budget FY24’s authorization was $3,046,382, and enrollment appears to be down 28 students this year from the certified enrollment report due October 15th. Nothing will be official until all schools certify, which will also change the projection model.
Croghan says student enrollment has declined by 100 in the last five years. In 2019, 506 K-12 students were enrolled in the district; the projected student enrollment in the 2024-2025 school year is around 419.
Croghan stated that they have been upfront with the committee and community, looking at a facility structure that helps the district with staffing flexibility and long-term viability. Staffing accounts for approximately 80% of the district’s general fund expenditures.
The district is hosting community meetings, and another meeting is scheduled for this Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at the High School in Anita.
