The five-year forecast reflects three (3) years of general operations (General Fund) historical revenues and expenditures, as well as a forecast of the present fiscal year and four additional years. A school district's General Fund is a fund designated to report general operations of a district. It reflects the receipt and expenditure of most tax dollars, even though it does not reflect all financial activity of a school district.

The reader should remember that a forecast is somewhat like a painting of the future, which is based upon a snap shot of today that has been adjusted to reflect all known activities of the future along with certain assumptions and predictions of what may happen. In other words, it is a living document that becomes outdated once any additional information has come to light, which may introduce new known events or changes in assumptions for the future. As such, the five-year forecast is a good planning tool at best and will change periodically as updated information becomes available.

The reader should also remember that the numbers themselves tell only a small part of the story in financial forecasting. For the numbers to be meaningful, the reader must review and consider the Notes to the Financial Forecast before drawing conclusions or using the data as a basis of other calculations.

Since the preparation of a meaningful five-year forecast is as much of an art as it is a science, and considering all of the intricacies of the information being presented, it is recommended that you contact the Treasurer/Chief Fiscal Officer with your questions.

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