The Wright City R-II School Board approved its first budget amendment during the monthly board meeting Nov. 15, with both revenue and expenses showing an increase.The amendment was an update from the original budget, which was adopted in June.“We will likely have another amendment around March,” said Superintendent David Buck. “Then we will have a clearer picture of salary and benefits, as well as state income. After January we will have an even clearer picture on those, plus most of the local revenue will be in.”Debt service earnings aided the district, while the need for additional staff called for more expenditures, as explained by Business Manager Konee Box.“Although there were many line item changes in the budget, the ending operating fund balance decreased by only $36,744 which is less than 1 percent of the $4,889,322 estimated ending operating fund balance that was in the budget that was adopted in June,” said Box.“Therefore, all of the line item changes had a minimal effect on the ending operating fund balance.”As for revenue, budget amendment No. 1 yielded an increase of $366,994, which includes no change for the Fund 3 debt service.Fund 3 refers to the debt owed for the construction of the middle school and East Elementary, field renovations, HVAC work in each building and the purchase of 85 acres for a future high school building.“We refinanced our debt. Some of that $9 million plus is revenue of bonds that have yet to be resold at the lower rate in last year’s budget, giving it a little over $10 million surplus,” said Buck.“Over two years, it will not be this large of a number. The fiscal year 2015 ended with $1.9-plus million in debt service. We are estimating that fiscal year 2017 will end with $2.2-plus million in debt service.”There were several significant factors having the greatest impact on revenue shift.There was an increase for local taxes after actual assessed valuation and approved tax rates were applied. The district also benefited from debt service earnings from interest received on the Series 2007 Bond Escrow account that was opened last fiscal year as part of the fiscal year 2016 refundings.Factors that are out of the district’s control, but still impacting it were a decrease in fines from the prior year. Additionally, state assessed railroad and utilities are down from the year prior due to a 251 percent increase in construction work in progress for Union Electric.When construction work in progress increases, assessed railroad and utilities goes down.There also was a decrease in transportation due to the governor withholding $16,500,000 in September, but part of that revenue was recovered with the governor releasing $3,000,000 of that initial amount in October.In terms of expenses, budget amendment No. 1 yielded an increase of $389,583 with no changes for the Fund 3 debt service. The greatest catalysts for change in this area were summer school costs and the addition of new staff, including a first-grade teacher, special education coordinator and administrative assistant.Additional increases in costs were a result of added tuition for a new high needs student who will likely have to attend an outside placement facility.As a result of the budget amendment, estimated revenues for fiscal year 2017 are $19,732,944.12, while estimated expenses are $29,278,183.51.“To look at budget deficit, you look at Funds 1 and 2 combined,” said Buck.“That is the operating budget. In amendment No. 1, the budget is deficit spending of $211,617.08 or lowering of percent reserves from 31.5 percent to 28.42 percent.“That being said, some things are coming in much lower than budgeted, such as electricity and natural gas,” Box said. “If those continue, the budget will be less negative and even possibly positive.”School budget