| Override
request likely to be less
According to preliminary figures it appears the override levy request this year will be smaller than last year. At the school board meeting Monday, March 20 superintendent Stan Kress said their first rough figures show a $223,000 shortfall compared to last year’s $237,000 override. He feels with some tweaking he can get that under $200,000. This budget also includes a 3% raise for the staff, the first raise in 6 years. He said that funding is a pass-through from the state funding. The school calendar for 2006-07 was approved with some changes from the proposal printed last month. The board decided to start school on Wednesday, August 30, start Christmas break a day later with an early out on Dec. 21 instead of the 20th, come back from Christmas break a day later with school resuming on Jan. 3 instead of Jan. 2 and finish school on June 5. The changes were in answer to a consensus of staff comments. Kress reported that the legislative bill that would allow the state board of education to appoint a district supervisor that could fire the superintendent and impose a levy on a district if a safety issue bond levy fails to pass appears to be on the fast track to approval. He said it would likely be challenged to the Idaho Supreme Court. In relation to that bill, Brit Groom reported that the executive director of the Idaho School Board Association twice has spoken out in favor of that bill. Groom said he can’t believe any school board would support a bill that would allow the state board to take control of their district. He said he’s willing to write the other members of the ISBA executive board to see if the director has been misrepresenting this bill to them and if he has to see if they can’t get the man fired. John Nida told Groom to “go for it.” Two bids were opened for the 1995 bus but since both were well below the $5,000 they could get as a trade-in on a new bus, the board voted to reject both bids and go for the trade-in. The higher of the two bids offered was $2,751.52. Kress reported the high school curriculum redesign proposed by the state board of education was tabled for a year by the legislature to seek input from teachers and school administrators. School safety busing was approved the same as in previous years for children living in town. This is something the board has to approve each year even if there are no changes. Kellie Bruner will be the board representative on the negotiations committee this year. Bruner’s board position is also up for election this year. The board approved a resolution to hold a trustee election for zone #5 on May 16. The board approved setting the Kantola-Morgan scholarship amount at $100 again this year. The scholarship money is generated by interest earned on a $5,000 trust fund. Repair projects were discussed with the principals giving their lists of projects. The big ticket items were the bleachers at the Middle School gym and the gym floor at the high school. Rene’ Forsmann also said they need to look into the new heaters at the Middle School. They generate a lot of noise and she’s like to see if something can be done about that. Dave Snodgrass said the gym floor at the high school needs to be sanded and refinished. Also they need to look into the problem of water getting under the floor and causing problems. Roy Schumacher suggested they get an engineer to look into it. Snodgrass also said the stage needs to be sanded down and refinished and that a lot of the cabinets in the classrooms need some work. He also said they need to work on the lockers in the girls locker room at the gym. Kress said they should have about $85,000 available in plant facility money for summer projects. The board was to discuss some of the projects during executive session due to possible litigation and then decide which to proceed with. Travis Mader suggested making use of the prisoners for some of the minor projects. In administrative reports Greg Deiss reported the steelhead eggs are due to hatch Thursday. He also said the Grangeville Elks handed out dictionaries to the third graders. They will be holding the school carnival in conjunction with parent-teacher conferences on April 6. Kindergarten screening will be April 18-20. Rene’ Forsmann reported the 8th grade took a science trip to Lawyer’s Canyon which is reported elsewhere in this week’s paper. They also took the 7th and 8th grades to the high school for the psych fair on March 14. Junior high track will start April 3 and they have invited the 6th grade again leading to a large turnout. They will hold their book fair in conjunction with parent/teacher conferences on April 6-7. Snodgrass reported on the Psych Fair and also on a Fire Safety Day March 16 where the Cottonwood Fire Department put on a program. They will have donkey basketball on April 5. The board adjourned to an executive session at 8:30 p.m. |
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