Springfield Public Schools are preparing for a potentially difficult blow — less than 100 percent funding from the state, plus the rollback of the temporary tax increase at the end of next month.
Superintendent Jennifer Gill says rumors are swirling that the district will get only two of its four so-called “categorical” state payments, which would leave a roughly $6 million hole in the budget.
“Those are all speculations based on upcoming conversations in our legislature,” says Gill. “It’s something I wanted to inform the board about so that they’re aware that, you know, if we don’t receive two payments this year, if we’re only two out of four payments, that would be close to $6 million we would lose.”
So what’s to be done? Gill says at this point it’s conjecture and specific contingency plans haven’t been discussed, though working cash bonds could be an option.
So far this year, the state missed its September payment and gave the district a voucher for about $2.9 million. Last year the district got its first state aid payment nearly three months late — in the middle of December. The second payment, due Dec. 31, wasn’t received until March.