Official: District careful with finances

AMBOY – The Amboy school system aims to be conservative with its budgets, its superintendent said Monday.

“It’s better to overestimate expenditures and underestimate revenues,” said Superintendent Jeff Thake, who took the reins in June. “It’s important that school districts be conservative.”

Saturday, the school board will have a retreat to look at the district’s finances and other issues.

Over the last 12 years, the district’s enrollment has declined by 25 percent.

“We’re always looking at enrollments and class sizes. We want to make sure our enrollments and class sizes aren’t too large. We don’t want to be overstaffed,” Thake said.

Lately, the state has been sending its funds to the Amboy school district on time, unlike before. But the district is playing it safe because the state government’s future doesn’t look bright, Thake said.

“When you look at the state deficit, you know that at some point major cuts are going to have to be made at the state level. We need to be prepared on how that will impact the school district,” he said.

For instance, the district won’t buy any new school buses this year, he said.

“We have a rotation and try to trade in for new buses every year. We’re not going to be in a position to do that this year,” he said.

To attend

The Amboy school board plans a retreat for 9 a.m. Saturday in the community room at the KSB clinic in Amboy.

The retreat will include reports on finances, operations, maintenance, transportation and technology. The superintendent and school principals plan to speak to the board.

For more information, call the school district at 815-857-2164.