Trustee Eubanks has some questions

COEUR d'ALENE - After a financial report during the Coeur d'Alene School District Board of Trustees Meeting Monday, Trustee Dave Eubanks wanted to talk about something.

"Everyone knows what I am going to talk about already," Eubanks said. "I am going to talk about our fund balance."

According to Eubanks, the school district began depleting its fund balance in 2012 and continued depleting it in the following years. For the upcoming fiscal year, Eubanks said the district is planning on another $2.5 million in deficit spending, including the "shortfall" during the construction of Winton Elementary School.

"I know this is not time to panic. I know that we are still solvent and we can pay all of our bills this year and hopefully next year," Eubanks said.

"But I am concerned about where all of this is heading. As a trustee I am especially concerned that, at our budget workshop three weeks ago, the district leadership was unwilling to consider cutting so much as a single dollar from our near $64 million budget."

Eubanks said he reviewed the budget again after the meeting and, while he was not finished with that review, offered several questions he would like the district administration to answer:

* Information on Superintendent Matt Handelman's expense account, and if anyone else in district management has a similar account.

"There is $1.25 million set aside for salary and benefits for the superintendent and his cabinet," Eubanks said. He added that the number accounts for 10 individuals, and that the monetary amount could hire 30 new teachers. Eubanks then requested information on the raises those employees received in the new budget.

* How much revenue is set aside each year for conferences, especially those outside the region.

* Documentation and direct correlation between the district attendee and the conference topic.

* Trend analysis of conference expenditures over the last five years.

"The idea that there is no fat in the budget, that every single dollar is necessary to educate our district's children, simply doesn't fly with this 20 percent of the board," Eubanks said.

Although Eubanks' questions were directed at district officials, Board Chair Christa Hazel responded to the trustee's questions. She began by saying she was taken aback at the line of questioning because she recalled that Eubanks was pleased by the information he received at the Aug. 24 budget workshop in question.

"I guess, to be blunt, I am frustrated," Hazel said. "The frustration comes from the fact that we aren't properly noticed for this discussion. So I want to make sure that we are properly noticed to delve into the topics that you want to delve into."

Hazel then made a clarification about the budget workshop. She said that, according to the minutes and her own memory, the board had a "significant discussion" about deficit spending.

"I don't recall that the administration refused or wouldn't answer our questions," Hazel said.

She also added that Handelman's expense account was part of a contract that the board of trustees approved.

"But we are veering into an area where we aren't properly noticed to have this kind of discussion," Hazel said. "I would like to give the district some time to have the opportunity to answer your questions."

The discussion concluded with district administration stating they would work on preparing answers to Eubanks' questions.