Keystone Central finance report shows one‑time ESSER spending and rising cyber‑charter costs
May 04, 2025 | Keystone Central SD, School Districts, Pennsylvania
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Business‑office staff presented new forecast‑style financial reports at the Keystone Central board work session on May 1 and outlined revenue timing issues tied to federal ESSER funds alongside growing cyber‑charter expenditures.
Joni (district finance staff) said the new reports use a format adopted by the vendor (Frontline/Forecast5) and present year‑to‑date comparisons. As of March 2025, she reported roughly $34.6 million in local revenue and said the district’s revenue is up about 4.4% compared with the prior year. “This is actually March’s information,” Joni said, noting the reports will be updated more frequently.
ESSER timing and next year’s federal revenue: Joni explained that federal ESSER funds skewed prior years’ federal revenue figures and that ESSER spending is winding down. She said the district budgeted ESSER spending in 2024–25 and that federal revenue will likely drop “dramatically” in 2026 to about $2 million, changing the revenue profile for that fiscal year.
Expenses and the cyber‑charter driver: The report showed expenses growing faster than revenue. Joni told the board salaries and benefits were about 64% spent year‑to‑date and that the purchase‑services bucket was at 87% in March because cyber‑charter tuition costs have exceeded budgeted amounts by roughly $1 million to $2 million in recent years. She summarized that revenues were up 4.4% while expenses rose about 7.7%, producing a projected deficit for the 2025–26 budget year.
Board discussion and follow‑up: Board members asked for more projections and comparative scenarios. Joni said she will present deeper dives, including budgeted versus projected analyses, at the finance committee. The board also discussed the new presentation format and the need to clarify how percentages (local/state/federal shares) are shown so they are not misread as shares of the total operating budget.
Procedural items linked to finance: During the meeting the board moved to appoint Joni as board treasurer effective July 1, 2025, for one year as permitted under Section 404 of the Pennsylvania School Code; that administrative appointment was presented as the board recommendation during the session.
Joni (district finance staff) said the new reports use a format adopted by the vendor (Frontline/Forecast5) and present year‑to‑date comparisons. As of March 2025, she reported roughly $34.6 million in local revenue and said the district’s revenue is up about 4.4% compared with the prior year. “This is actually March’s information,” Joni said, noting the reports will be updated more frequently.
ESSER timing and next year’s federal revenue: Joni explained that federal ESSER funds skewed prior years’ federal revenue figures and that ESSER spending is winding down. She said the district budgeted ESSER spending in 2024–25 and that federal revenue will likely drop “dramatically” in 2026 to about $2 million, changing the revenue profile for that fiscal year.
Expenses and the cyber‑charter driver: The report showed expenses growing faster than revenue. Joni told the board salaries and benefits were about 64% spent year‑to‑date and that the purchase‑services bucket was at 87% in March because cyber‑charter tuition costs have exceeded budgeted amounts by roughly $1 million to $2 million in recent years. She summarized that revenues were up 4.4% while expenses rose about 7.7%, producing a projected deficit for the 2025–26 budget year.
Board discussion and follow‑up: Board members asked for more projections and comparative scenarios. Joni said she will present deeper dives, including budgeted versus projected analyses, at the finance committee. The board also discussed the new presentation format and the need to clarify how percentages (local/state/federal shares) are shown so they are not misread as shares of the total operating budget.
Procedural items linked to finance: During the meeting the board moved to appoint Joni as board treasurer effective July 1, 2025, for one year as permitted under Section 404 of the Pennsylvania School Code; that administrative appointment was presented as the board recommendation during the session.
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