From School CFO/Treasurer, Scott Maruniak:
Lately, there has been much discussion that schools are receiving significant amounts of additional funding due to COVID-19. I would like to explain the reality of the funding situation.
In May 2020, Governor DeWine reduced school funding. This resulted in a reduction to Mechanicsburg of $144,248.16. This reduction is continuing through FY 2021. We can even see more reductions should the state not be able to recover financially as quickly as they are hoping for.
The federal government has provided some funding to combat COVID-19. This totals $84,396.05.
The Governor just allocated part of the states funding from the federal government from the CARES Act. Mechanicsburg's share of this funding is $45,364.
These funds have restricted uses. Mechanicsburg is planning to use the funds to provide additional safety measures such as hand sanitizer for classrooms, hand sanitizer stations, additional disinfectant, physical barriers, etc. We can also use some of the funds to add additional technology to the district. This may be in the form of additional Chromebooks, access points, etc.
As you can see between these two grants, funds that had been reduced in FY 2020 would still not be made up. In addition, we are spending the new funds on new COVID-19 related expenses.
Finally, local streams of revenue are currently on the decline. Most recently I received the July 2020 Income Tax Settlement information. Our settlement this year is $445,995.47. Last year at this time our settlement was $602,986.62. This is a difference of $156,991.15. The period covered for this settlement is April - June.
In summary, Mechanicsburg is not getting a windfall of additional funding. We have actually had many reductions. We will continue to be responsible with the resources we have been provided, while providing our students with the best education possible, in a safe environment.