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ROWVA projects near balanced budget for FY17

ROWVA Superintendent Joe Sornberger says that from the time he came into the job he had hoped to achieve a balanced budget.
If it’s not balanced this year it will be close as Sornberger is projecting as a worst case scenario a $72,000 deficit.
He tells Galesburg’s Morning News on WGIL that if things go right it should be balanced.

“As I continue to tell our teachers and our community, balancing is great but we need a surplus,” Sornberger says. “My fear is as we move forward is they are going to re-do the formula for GSA.”

Prorated General State Aid over the last seven years has caused ROWVA to miss out on $1.8 million. 

Sornberger explains that ROWVA could be hurt if the GSA formula is reconfigured is by appearing to be a wealthier district than that might actually be due to their property taxes.

He says that’s on the state because of proration and how it forced the ROWVA board to choose between cuts and tax levy hikes.

Sornberger went on to discuss the teacher shortage Illinois is dealing with.

When Sornberger used to make a trip to talk to graduating education majors at Western Illinois University there would be a room of 60.

Now he says that number’s closer to 16 and the last time he spook with students about half of them had no plans to stay in Illinois.

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