Fiscal Responsibilty

By Barbara Switzer Groth

School Board Trustees have a fiduciary responsibility to use tax payers' money prudently for the education of all students and to keep the tax payer informed.

San Dieguito school district has applied for and received state bond money for construction of new schools and modernization of older ones. Since the state money never pays all construction costs, San Dieguito district has also used local Mello-Roos funds to help build schools. For example, in the school year 2004-05, it had $21,789,840 of state bond money and $49,205,715 from local Mellos-Roos funds. These monies, when added to money the district had saved for future building needs, helped build Canyon Crest Academy, our newest high school. A district adopts a yearly budget in order to balance revenue it receives based on student attendance with what it will cost to educate those same students. State construction bond money comes from "outside" the yearly budget. The good news is that San Dieguito's staff are always looking ahead for ways to keep our students in the best schools possible and they do it well.

It is important to keep the taxpayer informed. Our school district went "paperless" several years ago. This means that school board meeting agendas, minutes, and all supporting materials are published on the district's website for all to read. The district's budget is a frequent topic of board meetings, something that is reflected in the amount of budget material available on the website.