Dearest reader,
One does so enjoy a breadcrumb.
A reader left a comment on yesterday's Hemlock post with some numbers. So naturally, Lady B pulled the receipts.
A few of the reader's percentages needed adjusting, but one breadcrumb certainly led somewhere interesting.
Comparing Hemlock's 2020–21 audited actuals with its 2026–27 budget:
School Administration
$728,532 → $1,491,211
+105%
Total Instruction
$7,216,288 → $10,173,993
+41%
General Fund Revenue
$13,736,689 → $19,548,491
+42%
Operations & Maintenance
$1,362,256 → $2,234,991
+64%
And then there were the assets.
Hemlock reported approximately $34.8 million in gross capital assets in 2020–21.
By 2024–25?
Approximately $65.6 million.
An increase of roughly $30.8 million, or 88%.
Now, capital assets and General Fund spending are not the same thing. And a budget is not an actual expenditure.
But voilà.
A reader dropped a breadcrumb, and now we have a much better picture of how Hemlock has changed over the last several years.
And one number certainly deserves a question:
What changed in School Administration that caused it to more than double?
You bring the breadcrumbs.
Lady B brings the ledger.
With receipts and respect.
The current budget supports the 2026–27 General Fund figures used above, including $1.491 million for School Administration and $2.235 million for O&M.