Jay budgets $36.6 million

Jay School Corporation expects to spend about $325,000 more from its general fund in 2017 than it budgeted for the current year. Whether or not it will have revenues to cover that spending depends heavily on what happens with enrollment over the course of the next month.
Jay School Board granted permission to advertise the budget during its meeting Monday following a presentation from interim superintendent and business manager Brad DeRome.
The board also made a variety of administrative personnel moves, including officially accepting the retirement/resignation of superintendent Tim Long and appointing DeRome to fill that roll on an interim basis.
DeRome presented the board with a total budget of $36.6 million, which is up about $735,000 from a year ago. Just over $25 million of that spending is in the general fund. Other projected spending includes $3.96 million in debt service, $3.4 million in capital projects, $2.5 million in transportation, $895,363 in pension debt service and $796,000 in bus replacement.
General fund revenue comes almost entirely from the state basic grant and is tied to enrollment. Jay Schools had estimated it would be down 34 students from its February count, and with that data had estimated the state basic grant would come in at $24.1 million. Given that number, DeRome estimated a general fund budget surplus of $77,000 for 2017.
But as of Monday, enrollment was down 73 students from February. If that number holds, the likely result would be more than $200,000 less in state basic grant money.
DeRome said principals are working to contact students who have not yet signed up for classes and that he will keep a close eye on the count as the budget process continues.
“I think we’re going to be a lot closer to minus-34 than where we are right now,” he said.
The status of the Jay Schools’ general fund balance has been a topic of school board conversation over the last few years as it dipped from around $3 million from 2005 through 2012 to about $1.68 in December. A $192,000 budget surplus is projected for this year, which would push the balance to $1.87 million.
DeRome has told the board it is a good rule of thumb to have a cash balance equal to three payrolls, which is about $2.1 million for Jay Schools.
The full budget will be published in The Commercial Review and The News and Sun and will be available online at https://gateway.ifionline.org. A public hearing on the budget is slated for the Aug. 22 board meeting, followed by adoption at the Sept. 19 meeting.
Board members Beth Krieg, Mike Shannon, Cory Gundrum, Ron Laux and Greg Wellman, absent Kristi Betts and Tammy Bennett, accepted the retirement/resignation of Long, who announced following the July 18 board meeting that he would be leaving Jay Schools to take a job with Mount Vernon Community School Corporation. The resignation is effective Sept. 1.
Long, who is using accumulated vacation days through the end of the month, had appointed DeRome to be interim superintendent, and the board ratified that appointment Monday. It also accepted DeRome’s resignation as treasurer and named Violet Current to fill that role. The change was necessary because the state requires the signature of the superintendent and treasurer on a variety of documents, and the same person cannot hold both titles.
An executive session has been scheduled following the board’s Aug. 22 meeting to discuss the process and timeline for hiring a new superintendent.
The board also approved the transfer of Jan McGalliard to become the new principal at Redkey Elementary School. She will be on a two-year contract at a salary of $72,096.
Board members also modified a contract with Tom Jerles to allow him to fill in as principal at Judge Haynes or Redkey elementary schools on an as-needed basis, not to exceed 20 days.
In other business, the board:
•Congratulated the Jay County High School Marching Patriots on their third-place finish Saturday at the Indiana State Fair Band Day competition and wished good luck to the cheerleaders, who will compete this weekend.
•Heard from DeRome that there is a new traffic pattern and angle parking at the high school. Also, new speed bumps have been installed along the driveway that runs past the tennis courts and softball field. In both cases, DeRome noted that the goal is to improve safety, especially during dismissal time.
•Hired Jay County High School Annex coordinator Tom Ferguson, teachers Brett Livingston (JCHS science), Steve Wickliffe (JCHS business), Lisa McCoy (East Jay Middle School special education), Ann Grisez (General Shanks Elementary special education), Amanda Rion (Westlawn Elementary kindergarten) and Hailey Gross (elementary school art), and instructional assistants Angela Reinhart (JCHS), Carrie Fry (General Shanks), Jennifer Rupe (Westlawn), Janie Landers (JCHS) and Mikayla Martin (Westlawn). One instructional assistant position remains open.
•Approved a charge of $15 per class for students enrolling in credit recovery. The classes were previously free of charge, with the fee now being instituted to try to create an incentive for completion.
•OK’d bus driver contracts for the 2016-17 school year. Drivers on daily rates make $75 per day. Those on hourly rates come in between $18.38 and $23.90 per hour.
•Approved a variety of transfers, involving instructional assistants, special education teachers and cooks. Also transferred Cynthia Hyatt to JCHS e-learning coordinator from JCHS alternative placement teacher.
•Accepted the retirements of teachers Sherry Roberts and Keith Bousman and the resignations of teachers Jeff Erb, Celeste Tetrault, Sheryl Buckmaster and Lindsay Edwards, instructional assistants Antonia Myers, Autumn Foy, Sara Barton and Keri Hines, and JCHS boys swim coach Cori Vormohr. Also approved a leave of absence for General Shanks instructional assistant Lexie Penrod.
•Approved extra-curricular assignments for the following coaches: Shannon Current (WJMS seventh grade volleyball), Violet Current (WJMS eighth grade volleyball), Laura Collins and Todd Gerbers (JCHS assistant volleyball), Brad Aker (JCHS assistant softball), Ashley Loucks (JCHS assistant cheer and competition cheer), Jill Ranly (JCHS gymnastics), Lindsey Willoughby (WJMS sixth grade volleyball), Kyle Love (WJMS assistant cross country), Paul Scott (WJMS assistant eighth grade football), Brea Burcham (WJMS cheer). Also named Trent Paxon as the school corporation’s gifted/talented coordinator and Irene Taylor as the WJMS student council, honor society and pep club sponsor.
•OK’d a JCHS band field trip May 3 through 5, 2017, to the Kentucky Derby Pegasus Parade.