Despite many unanswered questions due to the pandemic, the Greater Essex County District has presented a balanced budget and nearly tripled the original budget for additional COVID-19 costs.
The document had called for $1.8-million to cover items like purchasing personal protective equipment and hiring extra custodians, but trustees opted to add nearly $3.3-million to that fund with the additional money coming from reserves.
Manager of Finance Shawn Mayhew says the board has never had to lay out a budget under these circumstances.
"What areas may be impacted as the pandemic unfolds? As circumstances and the environment changes? We continue to look at those items and it's really unclear as to what the total magnitude of impact it will have on the budget."
Mayhew says the board is hoping the situation becomes clearer in the coming months.
"So much uncertainty moving forward and I think as that starts to play out in September and October we'll have the opportunity to reassess and to find out what the actual costs are at, how they're coming in, what the values are, what the need is."
Superintendent of Business Shelly Armstrong says, unfortunately, this budget includes contains many to be determined items.
"Nobody likes to put TBDs in front of numbers, particularly when you're doing a budget presentation. Some of the challenge is until we really understand better who will be attending school in person, that's one of the factors that makes it difficult."
The total budget came in at just under $557-million with a deficit of $953,000 which will be pulled from the board's surplus.
In addition to extra COVID costs, the board is facing a number of other financial challenges such as an estimated enrollment decline of 143 students and fewer international students resulting in a revenue drop of $300,000.