Dear Editor,In response to The New Falcon Herald’s Dec. 6 article, “D 49 board underscores fiscal responsibility,” I would like to make some points of clarification.The sources in the article provided some inaccurate information to the NFH, including a statement from Laine Gibson (former Falcon School District 49 chief financial officer) that he is “worried the district is spending money and circumventing the proper channels.” This is simply not the case. The school board must approve the district budget, which clearly details all spending. There has not, and will never be, circumventing of the proper channels. The budget is public record and the administration is available to field any specific questions from community members.It was also stated that “the district is going to spend all the fund balance…” and that Gibson “foresees the district approaching the taxpayers for more money.” This, too, is inaccurate. As noted in the Dec. 6 article, the state mandates that the district’s fund balance be at 3 percent. In addition, the board has a policy of maintaining a 10 percent fund balance. Per the adopted budget, the current fund balance is 13 percent – a full 10 percent over what the law mandates. Mark Shook, D 49 board member, states in the article, “…there is no financial crisis in Falcon school district.”When it comes to all matters of the district, my executive cabinet and I welcome any chance to speak directly with members of the community to answer questions and to dispel any rumors. We take very seriously our responsibility to provide a superior education for the children enrolled in our schools. We also take very seriously the prudent use of tax dollars. It is for these reasons that we remain eager to continue a dialogue with interested parents and community members about how to keep the emphasis on the children of our district and how to better serve them, our teachers, our employees and the broader community.Under my leadership, it is the policy of the district to maintain an environment of communication and collaboration both internally and externally. With that in mind, we are working very hard to strengthen relationships across all levels to create an environment that inspires a sense of trust and pride within the district and throughout the community.We look forward to working together to build a world-class school district that meets the growing demands of an ever-changing world.Grant SchmidtSuperintendentFalcon School District 49719-495-1117gschmidt@d49.org
