The Altoona Area School District spent $618,481 more on police services and for operation and maintenance of plant services in the last fiscal year than it did in 2020-21.

A financial review presented by Susan Franks, assistant business manager for enterprise and fiscal funds, showed the district spent $11,965,884 during the last fiscal year to date on police services combined with the maintenance, custodial and building services.

Those expenses made up 9.8% of the $11,347,403 of the 2020-21 budget.

The operation and maintenance of plant services and police services in this week’s financial review to the school board committee of the whole includes wages, benefits, utilities, services such as trash, repairs and maintenance as well as lawn care, supplies, capital renovations and equipment, purchase of services such as phone, travel, postage and insurance, and professional services like employee training and appraisals.

“In 2020-21 and 2021-22, we had significant COVID expenses that were in the supplies categories,” Franks said.

Supply expenditures rose to $949,639 in 2020-21 before dropping back to $773,919 for the last fiscal year.

Another area that showed a large increase was in the capital renovations and equipment category, where water damage repairs to the Altoona Area Public Library took the account from $294,459 in 2020-21 to $503,765 in 2021-22.

After closures caused by the pandemic reduced utility bills to $1,370,601 in 2019-20, they rose to $1,478,548 in 2020-21 and $1,936,065 in 2021-22.

In a breakdown of utilities, natural gas costs have nearly doubled since 2016-17, coming in at $611,847 for 2021-22 versus $314,730 in 2016-17. Natural gas rates are based on market rates.

Electric expenses were $750,074 in 2020-21 and $974,861 for the 2021-22 fiscal year.

Franks said the contract for electricity was set before the completion of the new high school, and will not be negotiable again until June of next year, and the rise in the prices is due to inflation costs.

Water and sewer expenses rose nearly $49,000 from 2020-21 to $349,357 in 2021-22.

Expenditures for police services was $640,898 for 2021-22, a decline from a high of $858,115 in 2018-19.

Police expenses have dropped, Franks said, due to the loss of staff in positions the district has struggled to fill.

Wrapping up her report, Franks said in comparison to districts with a similar number of buildings, Altoona and its 12 buildings were right in the middle.