School budget is unchanged

Jay Schools will advertise a 2011 budget very similar to 2010’s, reflecting a reduction in staff and no expected increase in state funding.
“We’re pretty flat,” school corporation business manager Brad DeRome told the Jay School Board Monday.
“We’re not really any different from where we were a year ago,” said superintendent Tim Long.
The school corporation will advertise a total 2011 budget of $35,030,746. That’s down one-tenth of 1 percent from last year’s advertised budget.
Of that $35 million, the lion’s share — $24,666,000 — is expected to come from state tax revenues to support the general fund.
The balance, about $10.7 million, will come from local property taxes.
State support is expected to be essentially unchanged from the current year, and that could decline depending upon the Indiana economy.
“They want the state economy to get better before they do more with the funding formula,” DeRome said.
The budget projects a reduction in staffing of about 14 — 7 teachers and 7 support staff.
“We’ve made good progress in this climate reducing our (staff) head count. … We’ve made substantial progress,” Long said.
DeRome added, “We have really been blessed with a lot of unexpected retirements and resignations.”
Long praised the Jay Classroom Teachers Association for its cooperation during a time when staff is shrinking. “We’re being very mindful of our class size,” he said.
Here’s a fund by fund breakdown on the 2011 budget:
•General fund, $24,666,000.
•Debt service fund, $3,715,864, with a projected property tax rate of 53.7 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
•Pension debt service fund, $976,882, with a projected property tax rate of 14.22 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
•Capital projects fund, $3,300,000, with a projected property tax rate of 46.59 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
•Transportation fund, $3,200,000, with a projected property tax rate of 27.75 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
•Bus replacement fund, $172,000, with a projected property tax rate of 14.14 cents per $100 assessed valuation.
That would call for an advertised property tax rate of $1.564 per $100 assessed valuation, but DeRome noted that figure will change after final assessed valuation figures for the county come in and after the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance reviews the budget.
The budget will be advertised July 28 and Aug. 4. A public hearing will be conducted at a board meeting on Aug. 23, and budget adoption is set for Sept. 13.
Long noted that elementary school registration is set for Aug. 5 and Aug. 6.
Registration for high school and middle school is set for Aug. 5 and Aug. 9.
The board adopted a schedule of textbook rentals and fees for the coming school year. Elementary school fees are as follows: Kindergarten, $88; first grade, $95; second grade, $91; third grade, $105; fourth grade, $97; and fifth grade, $98.
Rentals and fees for middle school and high school are dependent upon which courses a student is taking.
DeRome told the board that summer maintenance and improvement projects were on track. “The buildings still may look a little chaotic,” he noted.
Projects range from work on exterior walls at Westlawn Elementary School to the replacement of 43 interior doors at Judge Haynes Elementary School.
“There’s something going on in every building,” said Long.
DeRome also said there has been good participation in a summer free lunch program run by the school corporation, drawing questions from board president Bryan Alexander over whether students are taking advantage of the program because it is not need-based.
“That rubs me the wrong way for some reason,” said Alexander.
“Come see it,” responded DeRome. “Come see the kids who are coming every day. We think it’s been pretty well received.”
About 350 young people are being served each day in the program.
In other business, the board:
•Heard a report on ISTEP results and adopted improvement goals for third grade and sixth grade in math and eighth grade in English.
•Appointed Ron Laux and board member Jim Sanders to a common construction wage committee for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning improvements at Redkey, Westlawn, and East elementaries.
•Heard a report from Jay teachers on their visit to China this spring and approved a lease agreement to house a visiting Chinese teacher who will be at West Jay Middle School this year. That teacher, Yan Xin He, is expected to arrive July 30 under the College Board Chinese Guest Teacher Program. She teaches English, Chinese, and art.
•Accepted a certificate of appreciation from Army Reserve Capt. Robert Phelps, who has returned from his second tour of duty in Iraq to his post as assistant principal at East Jay Middle School.
•Hired, in addition to a new athletic director, Rhonda Clott as a vocational business teacher at Jay County High School, Dennis Dwiggins and Ted Habegger as driver’s education teachers, Ross Patz as an IT technical and network support analyst, Curtis and Livers Consulting as data entry consultants for special education, and Emily L. Reynolds as an occupational therapist.
•Accepted the retirement of fifth grade teacher Sharon Bell, bus driver Ralph Guingrich, and custodian Wanda Imel.
•Accepted the resignations of fourth grade teacher Andrew Mishler and occupational therapy assistant Amie Sprunger.
•Approved leaves of absence for fifth grade teacher Chandra Dawson and custodian Mike McGraw.
•Approved extracurricular assignments for Kelly Smeltzer as summer band director, Jason Hart as assistant summer band director, Sharon Newman as elementary band director, Pete Vogler and Emily Garringer as middle school band directors, Jack Houck as seventh grade football coach at East Jay, Eric Butcher as seventh grade assistant football coach at East Jay, Joe Imel as eighth grade football coach at East Jay, Tom Leonard as eighth grade assistant football coach at East Jay, Tony Minch as freshman football coach, Amy Dillon as eighth grade volleyball coach at East Jay, Joni Aulbach as honor society sponsor at JCHS, and Tiffany Mathias as assistant girls’ swim coach at JCHS.
•Approved bus requests from the Catholic Youth Organization, Jay County Public Library, and the Dunkirk Public Library.[[In-content Ad]]