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September 14, 2012

CISD in good situation despite state budget cuts

James Bright The Express-Star

CHICKASHA — Despite recent budget cuts to education cross the state the Chickasha Independent School District is sitting in a good financial position according to Director of Finance Dwight Yokum.

"We had a carryover of $1.4 million this year," he said.

The carryover fund is essentially a savings account according to Yokum, which allows the district to prepare for future cuts.

Since budget cuts have been common over the past five years, Yokum said he started planning on future slashes.

"We can't predict how things are going to be, but we still have to prepare," he said.

The goal is not to disrupt instruction according to Yokum.

"We didn't replace some of the support staff we lost over the summer," he said. "Reallocating funds also helps."

He said over the next year cuts made at the federal level will affect CISD special education programs. Yokum said he is currently in the planning process of combatting these cuts.

Property valuations in Chickasha have dropped to 1.17 percent from 2 percent according to Yokum, which is also a cause for concern.

"If we didn't have the carryover, we would have spent the summer reassessing which teachers we would have cut and as others left we wouldn't replace them," he said.

Teachers are the priority Yokum said. Since he started working for the district, Yokum said he has never had to do a reduction in staff.

"Our legislatures tell us that we don't need the carry over money because most schools just sit on it," Yokum said. "That money has allowed us to keep class sizes small."

Yokum said he thinks CISD will consider to sit in good standing financially.

"It's a numbers game and we keep trying to look ahead," he said.

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