COVID relief money from Washington will help the Davenport schools next year. The district expects to receive 21 million dollars, and has two years to spend it.
Chief Financial Officer Kevin Posekany says the tentative budget for the fiscal year beginning in July includes about 10 million federal dollars. It's supposed to make up for "lost learning."
"Lost learning could be summer school, it could be an extended school year, it could be something like when you're running short of funds in hot lunch for example - our food service account we had the expenditures and we didn't generate all the revenue."
The federal dollars can also be spent on health and safety projects.
Because of declining enrollment in Davenport, the new budget will also include a small drop in state aid.
"It went from 111 down to 110 million dollars. With the budget guarantee we are guaranteed one per cent more so we make that up through our property tax levy."
Posekany says other spending will be reduced so the school district's tax rate can stay the same as this year - $15.29 per $1,000 dollars taxable value.
Monday night the school board is expected to schedule a public hearing and final approval for the new budget on April 12th, so it can be submitted to the state by the deadline of April 15th.
