By PAULENE POPARAD

High fuel prices prompted more Duneland Schools students to take the bus last year's second semester, and administrators believe that trend will continue into the new school year, which opened today.

Assistant superintendent David Pruis said some Chesterton High School students have opted to leave their personal vehicles at home, and parents who formerly drove their children to various schools now do not. "The price at the pump helps impact the number of youngsters that ride the big yellow buses," advised Pruis.

One route was added and larger buses shifted to accommodate higher-demand areas, and in 2009 an $82,000 increase to $692,018 is proposed for bus replacement with at least six to be purchased. Typically buses are retired as new ones arrive but if demand holds some buses will remain in the fleet, which numbers 83.

Duneland superintendent Dirk Baer said recent enrollment is up slightly with more admissions anticipated; the full effect won't be known until a required student census is taken Sept. 12.

Duneland business manager Bonnie Gaston said so far administrators have been able to offset the rising cost of fuel and utilities in the tentative 2008 budget, but how those numbers shake out is far from final.

The last time Duneland School Corp. truly knew what its approved budget contained was Dec. 28, 2007 when the state certified that year's spending plan with three days to spare.

So far no budget has been approved for 2008 yet the Duneland School Board, like every other Porter County government unit, is required to prepare a 2009 budget now. Voting 5-0 Tuesday the School Board OK'd an estimated total budget next year of $66,726,585 for all funds and set a public hearing on it Sept. 2.

That figure is 6.28 percent above the total budget advertised for 2008 and includes the general fund, which finances the bulk of operations and expenses. At $40,180,395 the general fund estimates a projected increase of $1.47 million or approximately 3.8 percent more than advertised this year.

Pruis said he's been advised by state tax officials to decrease the district's 2007 assessed valuation of $2.6 billion to $1.8 billion to keep the tax rate up, a move other school corporations are making as well, he said. According to Baer, "All budgets are being advertised high and that's being done purposely. Everything that's being done is for the protection of the school system."

Duneland's approved 2007 tax rate was just under $1.42 per each $100 of assessed valuation, and the new rate could end up about $1.40 for all funds --- maybe.

With Indiana's new property-tax caps beginning to phase in next year and the state taking over financing of public schools' general funds as of Jan. 1, "There are more questions than answers," said Pruis. Baer said it's an unknown whether the state will collect enough revenue to cover the obligations it's taken on.

Pruis also said debt service is increased to just over $9 million to include interest on temporary loans while awaiting delayed tax distributions, as well as approximately $1.5 million in repayment on state loans made to Duneland Schools following Bethlehem Steel's unexpected 2001 bankruptcy, sale and non-payment of taxes. The steelmaker since was purchased by ArcelorMittal.

In addition to increases in the general, bus replacement and debt service funds the 2009 budget pushes the proposed $11.4 million capital projects fund closer to the maximum allowable rate in order to address facility needs, equipment and ongoing technology efforts. Just over $1 million is budgeted there for energy-savings upgrades at six schools, and more than $1.37 million in overall instruction-related technology upgrades and related spending.

A special-education fund of $175,000 is earmarked for the federally mandated program serving Duneland's eligible 3 and 4 year-olds, most at the Porter County Education Cooperative. A separate school transportation fund is set at $3.5 million and a bond debt service for retirement/severance at $1.6 million.

School Board reacts

School Board members expressed the same frustration voiced by local government officials across Porter County over the state's tardy approval of annual budgets.

Coupled with having to develop a new budget, "It's like throwing darts on a board," said School Board member Janice Custer. Added Pruis, "In a room with no lights."

Board member Michael Trout said the whole budgeting process is disturbing to him. "The public schools take a lot of hits but we get no help at the state level. If anyone tried to run a business like this, we'd be out of business." The board is forced to make educated guestimates and the public expects and deserves better than that, he noted, saying the board needs to make its displeasure known to state legislators.

Pruis said the administration prefers to be more realistic than guess but at this stage some estimating is necessary. He said although two-thirds of the budgets have been approved for 2008 there's no indication when Duneland's will be, however, if cuts are ordered specific areas are ready to be reduced.

Staff changes approved

By unanimous vote the board approved the following appointments: Jodie Eubanks, lunch/recess aide, Westchester Intermediate; Kim Ratajec, Kindergarten teacher, Jackson/Liberty Elementary schools; Marquita White, 1st Grade teacher, Jackson Elementary; Katie Wright, 4th Grade teacher, Bailly Elementary; Deanna Heslin, 2nd Grade, Bailly; Nicole Bell, 4th Grade, Liberty Elementary; Michelle Hoover and Mary Acton, Title 1 aides, Bailly; Michelle Condi, remediation aide, Bailly; Kelly Schuster, Title 1 aide, Liberty Elementary; Lauren West, 5th Grade teacher, Liberty Intermediate; and Amy Johnson, reading specialist, Liberty/Bailly elementary.

The following instructional aides were hired: Sherri Coons, Diane Brechner and Lori Adney, all Yost Elementary; Linda Ford, Amy Boren, Joni Garmany and Joan Funk, all Brummitt Elementary; and Jean Wasliewski and Tammy Reinhart, both Liberty Intermediate.

Additional aides hired were remediation aide Sarah Brenth, Title 1 aide Cindy Hodgkiss and cafeteria aide Jessi Campaniello, all Yost. Also, Diann Dunn, Lisa Gengnagel and Margaret Fanza as Title 1 aides, all Brummitt Elementary; Lindsay Darnell, remediation aide, Brummitt; and Tammy Sufana, playground aide, Bailly.

Additional personnel recommendations approved were James Moore as a technology aide at Liberty Elementary; Nancy Dubovich as an instructional aide at Westchester Intermediate; and T. R. Harlan as supervisor for the In-School Alternative Class Placement program at Chesterton High School for the 2008-09 school year.

Posted 8/20/2008