District Funding Sources

The CAL District works to maintain transparency with the management of public funds. State laws, rules, and regulations direct districts on how to spend money and what funds can be used to purchase certain items. Below you will find descriptions of the types of funds the district uses and their purposes as well as a depiction of the district's funding summary.

Fund 10 – General Fund
This fund receives the revenues from the school finance formula. It is a governmental fund under GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) and accounts for the revenues and expenditures for the educational program and most school district operations. All money received by a school corporation from taxes and other sources must be accounted for in the General Fund except money required by law to be accounted for in another fund. Expenditures include employee salaries and benefits (except nutrition and community education), textbooks, tuition, open enrollment, supplies, contracted services, travel, etc.

Fund 21 – Student Activity Fund
Money from student-related activities such as admissions, activity fees, student dues, student-fundraising events, or other student-related co-curricular or extracurricular activities is deposited in this fund. Expenditures for interscholastic athletics, student councils, clubs, and other student activities are in this fund.

Fund 22 – Management Fund
This fund is supported by a property tax levy used for early retirement, unemployment, tort liability, and insurance. This fund may be used for equipment breakdown insurance and may join and pay funds into a local government risk pool to protect against liability. The district belongs to the Iowa Association of School Board’s Safety Group that provides insurance on vehicles, buildings, errors, and omissions, etc.

Fund 31 – General Obligation (G.O.) Bonds
This fund accounts for expenditures funded by governmental obligation bonds to be used to build and equip new facilities. This fund cannot be used for salaries or programs needs.

Fund 33 – Statewide School Infrastructure Sales and Services Tax (Sales Tax) Fund
This fund accounts for the revenue and expenditures connected to the statewide sales tax for a school district. Funds may be used for the same purpose as Capital Projects Fund and PPEL Fund and include construction of buildings, purchasing property, equipment, technology, etc. This fund cannot be used for salaries or programs needs.

Fund 36 – PPEL (Physical Plant Equipment Levy) Fund
This fund is a capital project fund providing a maximum of $1.67 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The board may approve 33 cents annually in property tax; and/or hold an election for up to $1.34 for a period of up to 10 years and funded by property tax or property tax and income surtax. Funds may be used for the same purpose as Capital Projects Fund and Sales Tax Funds and include construction of buildings, purchasing property, equipment, technology, etc. This fund cannot be used for salaries or programs needs.

Fund 40 – Debt Fund
Voters may approve bonded indebtedness for a period of up to twenty years and a rate limit up to $4.05 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The debt levy revenue is used to pay the interest, interest, and indebtedness costs. Money available to service this debt and received from other sources are transferred to the debt service fund and the payment is then made from this fund. This fund cannot be used for salaries or programs needs.

Fund 61 – Nutrition Fund
This fund accounts for revenues and expenditures connected with operating the District’s lunch and breakfast programs. All 6X funds are enterprise funds used to account for operations that are operated in a similar manner to private business where revenues are based on fees charged and expenses are directly associated with the operations.

Fund 71, 72, 73 – Internal Service Fund
This fund accounts for transactions for self-insured insurances including medical, dental, prescription, and vision received by district employees for whom the district is responsible for paying all claims and administrative costs. This fund also accounts for transactions for certain benefits available to district employees in which the District is responsible for paying all premiums or costs specified by the employee.

Fund 81, 82, 84 – Trust & Agency Funds
These are fiduciary funds that were donated to the district.

District Certified Annual Budget

In accordance with the Code of Iowa, the Board of Education annually adopts a budget following the required public notice and hearing for all funds, except blended component units, internal service funds and trust and agency funds. The budget may be amended during the year utilizing similar statutorily prescribed procedures. Iowa school districts prepare their budgets on the GAAP (Generally Accepted Accounting Principles) basis.

Linked below are copies of the district's most recent budgets.

District Tax Levies

Linked below are the district's most recent levy rates.

District Certified Enrollment

The funding Iowa school districts receive to educate our students is based on certified enrollment. Certified enrollment is based on the number of students living in a school district. This number is determined by districts on the first day of October each school year.

Under state law, certified enrollment is used in the formula that determines state funding for our schools. It also includes the “weighting,” or additional funding for students in certain programs.

Linked below are the districts most recent certified enrollment summaries.

Proposed Tax Notice

Beginning in 2024 school districts are required to file, mail and post a Proposed Tax Notice Statement. The district will hold a public hearing on the full property tax request and rate that is proposed by the district for the next fiscal year. 

Linked below are districts proposed tax notices.