It’s a difficult job but someone has to do it. Fortunately, when it comes to Riverside School District’s five-year financial forecast, that someone is Ronnie Fitchpatrick.
And, according to Scott Mann, school superintendent, Fitchpatrick is more than up to the job.
“He’s the best treasurer in the state of Ohio,” Mann said. “State departments will do (financial forecasts) two years at a time, and that’s hard enough. But Ronnie does it to the dollar every time.”
Fitchpatrick’s five-year forecast was a mix of the expected and the unexpected. With the country in a recession, the district can certainly anticipate increases in property taxes and interest rates. Regarding the former, Fitchpatrick said, “When you get your tax bill in January, it’s here.”
But the biggest increase, Fitchpatrick pointed out, will be in energy costs. Much of that is due to the increasing price of diesel, which has tripled in the past two years. Add the soaring cost of buses, and inflation is definitely affecting the district’s bottom-line.
Still, in some areas, Fitchpatrick said they’re in good shape, especially thanks to grant money.
He presented two conclusions: The continued influx of federal dollars will lower supply and capital expenditures in the general fund and strengthen the cash balance over the next couple years; and inflation will have an impact on the forecast going forward—especially the energy sector short-term, and salary and benefits long-term.
In other action, the board:
• extended supplemental contracts to: Dennis Sanford, Jayden Burchett, freshman boys basketball, Morgan Robison, HS boys and girls basketball coverage;
• approved a new athletic club to sponsor the Riverside indoor track, with Maelinn Myers, the coach, as the volunteer; entry fees will be paid by the athletes participating;
• approved a new student debate club; and
• approved invoices and expenditures in the amount of $695,643 for the general fund and $301,000 for all other funds totaling $996,643 for October 2022.
The last regular meeting of the Riverside Board of Education for 2022 is 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m. in the school district library.
Members set the 2023 organizational meeting for 6 p.m. Jan. 10, at the district library. The regular monthly meeting will follow.
Upcoming district activities:
Grandparents’ Day — Monday, Nov. 21; 9 a.m., kindergarten through sixth-graders will present a short music program in the high school gym, followed by refreshments.
Senior Citizen Thanksgiving Dinner — Monday, Nov. 21, 5 p.m. with music and entertainment from the Majesty Quartet; all Riverside senior citizen community members are invited.
Elementary (K-2) Christmas concert — Monday, Nov. 28, 7 p.m.
Elementary spelling bee — Tuesday, Dec. 6, 8:45 a.m.
Breakfast with Santa PTO Fundraiser — Saturday, Dec. 10, from 9 to 11:30 a.m., followed by a sensory-friendly time in a less-stimulated setting from 11:30 a.m. until noon; tickets: $8 for children in preK through sixth-grade, $10 for seventh-grade and older, or $30 for a family of four plus $4 for each additional family member; contact pto for more information.