SAN BENITO — The school district’s current fiscal year is going to be a lot shorter.
The San Benito CISD fiscal year will last only 10 months this year and will end June 30.
The board of trustees has decided to change the start of the fiscal year from Sept. 1 to July 1.
District officials began discussing the topic of the change at the beginning of the year.
In the past, the fiscal year for the district ran from Sept. 1 to Aug. 31, but next year it will run from July 1 to June 30.
The change in the fiscal year will provide advantages for the district including giving educators time to financially plan for the year.
Principals report for duty in July with teachers and administrators coming in August, a month before students are expected to report for their first day of classes.
In the time between the educators reporting period and the first day of school, the district had no access to their budget, putting them at a disadvantage.
This left them having to plan for the year during instruction.
The new fiscal year will allow the district access to the budget and give them ample time to start making purchases and financial decisions for the school year.
The biggest effect this will have will be the one-time savings during the months of July and August, when the district will make the transition.
The current fiscal year will only run from Sept. 1 to June 30 and the district will start the new year in July.
The two-month overlap between fiscal years will create a one-time savings for the district.
An estimated $6.5 million to $7 million in operating costs that would have been used for July and August will be moved into a fund balance where the money will be available for projects such as maintenance.
According to the district spokesperson, several districts in the county follow the July 1 fiscal start date.
What it means
• Current fiscal year will be only 10 months
• One-time savings of an estimated $6.5 million to $7 million
• Access to budget before students report for first day of school
