FR finances are in good shape

FORT RECOVERY — School board members took a look at their five-year financial forecast. But they’ll wait until May to vote on it because of continued uncertainty with the state budget.
Fort Recovery School Board heard the update Tuesday from treasurer Lori Koch, who explained that the numbers are still very much in flux because of differences between two-year budgets proposed by Ohio Gov. John Kasich and state legislators.
The board also heard an update about a committee studying state testing and updated a policy regarding courses for the 2015-16 school year.
Koch pointed out that based on Kasich’s proposal, Fort Recovery would lose $79,000 in state funding in fiscal year 2016 and about $55,000 in fiscal year 2017. But the current proposal in the House of Representatives would give the school system increases of $379,046 and $407,474.
Either way, she told the board, Fort Recovery is in good financial shape this year and next. Its projected year-end cash balances are $3,406,158 for the current year and $3,540,227 for fiscal year 2016.
“It’s still positive,” Koch said. “We’re going to end this year at around $257,000 in the black and next year over $100,000 in the black.”
She will revise the forecast for the board’s May 19 meeting based on the best available information about the state budget. The forecast must be approved by the end of May.
Fort Recovery Middle School principal Matt Triplett is serving on the Senate Advisory Committee on Testing, which recently met with several testing companies. Triplett said the consensus of the committee so far is that there should be less testing, regardless of which company or companies are used.
The advisory committee will make recommendations to the Ohio Senate Education Committee in May.
The board also discussed several policy updates, including one that would allow implementation of the new College Credit Plus program for the 2015-16 school year.
It is designed to make college credits more accessible to high school students by offering the opportunity for high school teachers to earn accreditation and teach college courses for dual credits.
In other business, board members Jose Faller, Ginny Fortkamp, Dave Hull, Amy Bihn and Aaron Guggenbiller:
•Approved teaching contracts of three years for Cheri Brewer, Laura Snyder and Norman Leugers; two years for Maura Hanlon, Julie Kunk, Abby Scheidt, Jill Dues, Miranda Muhlenkamp and Julie Schlater; and one year for Tami Brunswick, Sam Piehl, Gina Evers, Kevin Eyink, Travis Guggenbiller, Laura Heitkamp, Victoria Horstman, Melinda Luthman, Ashley Lavy, Chelsea Rogers, Chris Guggenbiller and Zachary Sudhoff; and continuing contracts for Donna Rindler and Julie Winner. Also OK’d Holly Franzer, Megan Roessner, Emily May, Megan Highley, Heather Siefring, Brunswick, Dues and Winner as summer school teachers and substitutes.
•Made the following appointments for co-curricular activities: Hanlon – elementary vocal music; Michelle Stammen – elementary student council advisor; Scheidt – elementary book club, fourth grade; Brunswick – elementary book club, third grade; Susan Bertke – kindergarten chair; Kari Eilerman – first grade chair; Winner – second grade chair; Sandy Raffel – third grade chair; Chad Miller, Kylee Harrmann, Muhlenkamp and Stammen – RTI core team; Carol Ranly – middle school book club; Brian Patch – eighth grade advisor; Crystal Fullenkamp – science fair advisor; Jessica Jutte – middle school student council advisor; and Marcia Weigel – middle school yearbook advisor.
•Heard an update from elementary school principal Tracy Hein-Evers about upcoming events, including preschool registration April 28. Field day will be May 20, and a Laffalot summer camp is set for July 20 through 24. Summer school dates are Thursdays from June 4 through July 30 with the exception of July 2.
•Approved field trips for April 29 through May 1 to the state FFA convention in Columbus, Ohio, and July 6 through 10 to the state FFA camp in Carrollton, Ohio.
•Hired Molly Briner, Denise Bruns, Matthew Hart, Marie Osterholt and Lisa Zehringer as non-teaching employees.
•Accepted donations totaling nearly $4,000, including more than $1,000 for Get Real Week. Fort Recovery Athletic Boosters gave $1,000 to the FRHS baseball team.