Glendale-River Hills officials weigh their budgetary options

School officials in the Glendale-River Hills district discussed the complexity of crafting a 2012-13 budget at a meeting Monday.

At the moment, the district has cash reserves in the fund balance hovering around 7.17 percent, and District Administrator Larry Smalley suggested increasing the amount to about 9.8 percent of the total budget in the upcoming school year.

School districts and municipalities with lower fund balances can be affected adversely with lower bond ratings which, in turn, can create difficulty borrowing money in the future. Cash reserves also are beneficial in the event of an unanticipated expense.

But the School Board and administrators are weighing other issues, including staff salary increases, health care contributions and other benefit costs. A proposal also is on the table to add a section in next year's fourth-grade class because of an anticipated swell in enrollment.

The district's budget building process will continue for several months. The board will act on a draft version of the budget in July, in advance of a public hearing in August.