School Finance: Where Your Dollars Go

MCAS Communications Intern Wynni sits down with Chief Financial Officer Andy Sperling for Making Sense of School Finance, a series designed to help explain how school funding works and what it means for Michigan City Area Schools.

Watch Episode 1 and stay tuned for future episodes as Wynni and Andy continue to break down school finance in a clear and easy-to-understand way.

In Episode 2, MCAS Communications Intern Wynni sits down with Chief Financial Officer Andy Sperling to talk about the different funding “buckets” that make up school finance. Where does the money come from? What can each fund be used for? And why can’t dollars always be moved from one bucket to another?

Wynni and Andy break down these questions and help explain how school funding works at Michigan City Area Schools.

In Episode 3, MCAS Communications Intern Wynni sits down with Chief Financial Officer Andrew Sperling to answer an important question: What does it really cost to operate a public school district?

From the people who serve students every day to transportation, utilities, technology, building maintenance and other everyday expenses, Wynni and Andrew take a closer look at where school district dollars go. They also explain why some costs remain even when student enrollment changes.

School finance can be complicated. That’s why Michigan City Area Schools is breaking it down in our special Words with Wynni series, Making Sense of School Finance.

In Episode 4, MCAS Communications Intern Wynni sits down with Chief Financial Officer Andy Sperling to explore why student enrollment matters when it comes to school funding.

Enrollment is an important part of Indiana’s school funding formula, which means changes in the number of students a district serves can affect the amount of state funding it receives. But when enrollment declines, many districts' expenses do not decrease at the same rate.

In Episode 5, MCAS Communications Intern Wynni sits down with Chief Financial Officer Andy Sperling to look at the different factors affecting MCAS’s financial outlook, including enrollment trends, state funding, changes in property tax laws, and rising operating costs.

Wynni is also joined by Superintendent Dr. Wendel McCollum to discuss steps MCAS has already taken to reduce costs and improve efficiencies, and why district leaders and the school board decided to place an operating referendum on the November 3rd ballot for the community to consider.

In Episode 6, MCAS Communications Intern Wynni sits down with Chief Financial Officer Andy Sperling to answer a question you may be hearing a lot lately: What exactly is an operating referendum?

Wynni and Andy explain how an operating referendum works, who decides whether it is approved, how long it lasts, and how operating referendum revenue can support a school district’s programs, staffing, and operations.

In Episode 7, MCAS Communications Intern Wynni sits down with Chief Financial Officer Andy Sperling to answer an important question: If voters approve the MCAS operating referendum, what would the additional revenue support?

Wynni and Andy discuss the proposed uses of the referendum revenue, including student programs and services, recruiting and retaining educators and staff, transportation, building safety, student health and safety initiatives, and other essential daily operating needs.

In Episode 8, MCAS Communications Intern Wynni sits down with Chief Financial Officer Andy Sperling to take a closer look at the operating referendum question voters will see on the November ballot.

What does $0.2998 per $100 of assessed value mean? What is assessed value? Why does the ballot reference an eight-year period? Wynni and Andy break down key parts of the ballot question and explain what voters are being asked to decide on November 3.