The Glen Lake Board of Education is the first of four county school districts to adopt the 2024-2025 budget, before classes are recessed for the summer.
The board voted unanimously last week to adopt the spending plan for the new school year which begins July 1. Total revenue of $27,532,928 is anticipated for the coming year. This includes $8.4 million in funds carried over from the 2023-24 school year.
A 15.0696-mill levy, collected on all non-homestead/non-agricultural property, is the largest source of revenue, estimated to generate $11.8 million. This year’s budget is the first based on a summer levy instead of the fall levy from previous years.
State funding is expected to come in at $3.6 million.
Glen Lake is one of two local districts receiving Impact Aid from the government to compensate for the loss of property tax revenue resulting from creation of Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Glen Lake receives about $3.4 million from this source each year. Leland receives less than a million in annual Impact Aid.
On the expense side of the budget, planned expenditures of $18.6 million are anticipated next year.
Next year includes $9.46 million for instruction, up slightly from this year. An additional $6.4 million is earmarked for support services which includes nearly $1.4 million for operations and maintenance, $887,347 for transportation, $845,947 for athletics, and nearly $2.5 million for pupil/instructional staff, general administration, and school administration. This is on par with the 2023-24 school year.
The school board allocated $324,148 to supplement the $890,394 food program budget. Glen Lake moved $2 million from capital outlay to public improvement, and the school will pay $60,000 for debt service. The Lakers carried over $2.5 million for the septic system in next year’s budget.
The Lakers have $410,000 for capital outlay with $150,00 for a bus; $60,000 for a suburban; and $200,000 for building and grounds outlay. Glen Lake will mull the ideas of spending money on buses, furniture, technology, building/grounds, and roof repairs. Another $4.2 million is still unassigned for the fund balance of 2023-24 fund balance.
The school district will still have to save to address HVAC needs, and board members have discussed seeking a second bond attempt this fall. The district’s $32 million bond request was turned down by voters in November.
School leaders expect to have $8.85 million in the fund balance as of June 30, 2025.
