By Kristin Bednarski
Sun staff

Batavia Local School District board of education members approved the five-year forecast for the district at their Oct. 15 meeting.

Treasurer Michael Ashmore briefly presented the forecast, which they update on a regular basis throughout the year.

He said the district is required to submit a five-year forecast in October and board members must approve the forecast again in May.

“Here we are really looking at it every month so there aren’t many surprises,” Ashmore said about the forecast.

Ashmore said they are still projecting to have a balanced the budget this year.

He said so far this year, revenues are down six percent, but because board members planned nearly $1 million in cuts for this year he said expenditures are down almost equally.

“The plan we put in place for this year, so far, it has worked,” Ashmore said.

He said going forward with projections for the next years they are beginning to look at a deficit.

“Next year we would be back in a deficit if we don’t do something,” Ashmore said. “In 2015 we would be looking at a negative cash balance.”

He said more cuts would have to be made if revenues don’t increase before next year to prevent a deficit.

Ashmore has also previously warned that the cash balance is the reserve for the district and depleting money in the cash balance is dangerous for the district.

Ashmore said the levy that is on the ballot this November was not considered in the plan.

If they levy passes, he said they would have to revise the plan to include that incoming revenue.

Superintendent Jill Grubb said they levy committee has been working full steam ahead to spread the word about the district’s financial situation and what the levy would provide before election day Nov. 6.

Grubb said committee members have been making information available at all school events that are going on at the the district.

“Anything still happening, it has been front and center,” Grubb said about the levy.

Grubb said committee members have done chaser mailings that follow absentee ballots to registered voters and are working on other mailings before the election.

She said yard signs have been delivered and the committee will be passing out and placing the yard signs this week.

In addition, she said committee members have had a “mine plus nine” campaign, where each person spread the word about the levy directly to nine other households.

The 7.26 mill levy on the ballot Nov. 6 includes a 4.51 mill bond issue for the local share construction of a new building along with a 2.75 mill operating levy to help sustain services in the district.

For more information about the district’s five-year forecast or the levy, visit www.bataviaschools.org.