Central Lee superintendent says district strong financially

Dear Editor, Central Lee community, parents, and students,
Each September, the Central Lee Community School District engages an independent firm to audit its financial records. Following the completion of this audit, the district submits several financial reports, certifying our records for the previous school year. We have recently finalized these steps and are now ready to provide our community with a financial update.
Our district remains in a strong financial position. The main indicator of financial health is our unspent spending authority, which represents the amount of money the district is legally allowed to spend in a given year. It is important to note that unspent spending authority is not the same as cash on hand or the incoming revenue. Rather, we tend to think of it as our “credit.” 
For many years, the state of Iowa has used unspent spending authority to gauge the financial health of school districts. As of the end of the 2023-2024 fiscal year, our unspent authority stands at $4,839,276. To put this in perspective, in 2006, the district had an unspent authority of just $360,386. Over the years, Central Lee has steadily increased this number, demonstrating responsible financial management.
The Central Lee School Board and I have worked hard to invest in new curriculum resources, increase staffing, and maintain programming without compromising our long-term financial stability. In 2019-20, we added five full-time positions to the district budget, followed by three more in 2020-21, two in 2021-22, and another two in 2022-23. Since 2016, our staff has grown by nearly 15 positions. Additionally, our enrollment has increased by approximately 60 students this year, which will likely require additional staff in the future. Enrollment has been a key driver in our strong financial position, allowing us to make meaningful investments in our classrooms.
In 2023-24, we approved a 4.25% wage increase for all staff, followed by a 3.5% increase for 2024-25. These adjustments are essential for retaining high-quality staff and staying competitive when recruiting new professionals. We recognize that staff recruitment and retention will likely become more challenging in the coming years. However, with our continued enrollment growth, we are optimistic that we can offer another reasonable wage increase for our team.
Our commitment to investing in staffing and resources will continue, as long as it does not jeopardize our future financial stability. While we cannot accommodate every request, we have remained focused on allocating resources to areas that align with the goals set forth in our strategic plan.
If you have any questions regarding the district’s finances, please do not hesitate to reach out. 
Sincerely,
Dr. Andy Crozier, Superintendent