Staff writer
Superintendent Lee Leiker previewed the district’s budget Monday at the USD 408 Board of Education meeting.
The district’s total, unaudited budget this year is $5,464,494, which was $101,946 less than the year before.
However, the current budget does not take into account possible state funding cuts. In discussions with state representative Bob Brookens, Leiker said he has learned Governor Sam Brownback’s plan to cut $75 per student from the budget is likely to pass by late April.
USD 408 currently receives $4,012 per student. The drop to $3,937 would cost the school $82,500 in funding. The governor also proposed an additional cut of $157 per student for the 2011-12 school year, which would cost USD 408, $172,000.
On top of a possible $254,500 cut in school funding, the school has had a steadily declining enrollment. USD 408 lost 12 students this year. With a 52-student senior class to graduate and an early kindergarten roundup of 38 students, the district is projected to lose 14 students next year.
Leiker said he has planned for the cuts.
The board took a 1 hour and 40 minute executive session last night to discuss personnel and negotiations.
It was the second of two executive sessions. The board took a 15-minute executive session before deciding to hire Roger Schroeder as the head coach for the Marion High School baseball team and Kelly Robson as the assistant coach.
Earlier in the meeting, the board also approved a contract for Katie Rahe as an assistant forensics coach.
In other business:
- A school bus request was approved for a youth group led by Chris Insley. The group will provide a driver and a pay for gas for their trip to Wichita.
- A wireless communication device policy was approved. Drivers of school vehicles — buses or sport utility vehicles — are forbidden from using wireless communication devices when students are passengers. When drivers are alone, they can use a phone; this provision was left in the policy in the instance that a driver needed to be reached.
- Lori Soo Hoo gave a presentation for Parents as Teachers. She detailed how $7,320 from USD 408 was being used. PAT serves 131 families and 172 children. PAT connects those families to resources like Health Wave so families can gain health insurance. The organization also provides developmental, hearing, vision, and health screenings for children. Soo Hoo talked about a family with two children. PAT screened their first child and identified the child for intervention in language and learning. As a first-grader, the child no longer needs an individual educational plan for academics, only for speech.
- The board also heard Model United Nations Presentations from MHS students Christian Czarnowsky, Nick Meyer, and Luke Steele. First, Czarnowsky read a position piece for keeping Model U.N. as a school program. Then, the students read the award-winning position papers they submitted to the Wichita Area Model U.N. Dirk Young and Czarnowsky won first place for their paper detailing Zimbabwe’s position on nuclear proliferation and climate change. Meyer, Steele, and Seth Crawford won second place for their position paper representing India.
- Leiker also presented information about the district’s snow day situation. With the district needing to meet 11,016 total hours of school, USD 408 still has two snow days available before it would need to add days at the end of the year. USD 408 has used four snow days this school year.
The next board meeting is 7 p.m. March 14.