EPSB budget better than expected

The Evangeline Parish School Board approved its 2014-2015 fiscal year budget during its meeting Wednesday, September 3.
The school district’s chief financial officer, Amy Lafleur, presented the budget to the board, who had previously reviewed it during an executive committee meeting. Lafleur said the budget calls for a $1.385 million deficit in the general fund for the 2014-2015 year. The largest portion of this deficit comes from a decrease in MFP revenue. MFP is the funding the school district receives based on the number of students attending school in this district. The decrease in MFP funding is approximately $1,004,000 of the $1.385 million deficit. The remainder, she said, is from increases in cost for retirement and hospitalization, as well as lower tax collections.
Overall, Lafleur said that while the $1.385 million deficit in the general fund is not exactly good, she was happy that the deficit was not even larger considering the financial burden’s facing school districts today and the general sluggishness of the economy. In addition, Lafleur made it clear that the deficit is the result of decreases in revenue and not increases in expenditures.
“This is definitely a lower revenue problem,” she stated.
Lafleur also spoke about changes in hospitalization that are on the horizon. While the details of these changes are still unknown, she stated there will be “significant changes” when open enrollment begins. One change that employees may notice is that HMOs could now have a deductible, according to Lafleur, something the district has never had before.
Assistant Superintendent Darwan Lazard stated that early information they have received has shown that out of pocket expenses for employees could increase by 47 percent.
Lafleur stated that she will soon be attending a conference to discuss these upcoming changes and she will be able to report back to the board with more detailed information when she returns. However, at this time she said that employees can expect to see significant changes and those changes will likely increase costs for employees.