Shaker Schools Finances in the Black

Shaker Heights Schools Treasurer Bryan C. Christman provided the highlight of an hourlong board of education meeting Tuesday afternoon — the district is in the black.

Revenues for the fiscal year will finish about $600,000 below budget, but expenditures are  4.7 percent below budget.

"On the expenditure side, we're continuing to have a favorable variance there," Christman said. "We're projecting about $3.8 million below budget.

"Overall, we project, for the year, about a $3.2 million favorable benefit, including the expenditures offsetting the unfavorable revenue variance."

will end its fiscal year on June 30 with better-than-expected expenditures largely because it spent less on services than last year. Utilities were 33.3 percent lower than last year because of a mild winter. The district also spent $436,366 less on repairs and maintenance than last year. Altogether, purchased services are $2.3 million, or 17.4 percent, below budget.

The district's year-to-date payroll, $2.1 million, is 1 percent lower than last year's.

The board went into executive session after the meeting to interview candidates to replace board member Jennifer P. Mearns. She will soon move to Northern Kentucky.

The board will also hold an executive session at 8 p.m. Thursday to speak with additional candidates. Mearns' last board meeting will be the June 26 work session, scheduled for 6 p.m. at the district's administration building.

Check back later today for more coverage on the Tuesday board meeting.