Baseball Upgrade Project, Budget Updates
Klaryssa Keane and John Rhodes gave a presentation on the front baseball field fundraiser and plans at the July 14 Meadows Valley School board meeting. The school board also heard financial and building project updates and discussed budget, graduation requirements and future readiness projects for senior students.
Keane and Rhodes reported they have raised around $12k for the baseball field upgrades. Plans include work on the infield and creation of new dugouts. C&M Lumber has offered product donations. Keane said many people have donated time and money to the work and sponsor signs on the dugouts and fence are also in the plans.
Superintendent Dee Fredrickson reported on building and education updates. She said school custodian Tamara Brusso has been hard at work fixing sprinklers, waxing floors, painting and deep cleaning along with many other tasks. The parking lot is undergoing asphalt resealing and painting from July 27-31 and the school campus is closed during those dates.
Fredrickson also said all classrooms will have thermostats replaced to help with temperature control. She said they will be using money from a grant School Resource Officer Chris Carlisle helped with to add new vape detectors and additional cameras. A new hire was approved to fill the open secondary English Language and math teaching position. Fredrickson said she thinks the new teacher will be a good fit with the team, kids and community. She added that the new science teacher is getting ready for the new school year and requesting new equipment to upgrade the classroom. Fredrickson is looking into funding for some items.
New finance manager Scott Brown of Charter Impact gave a review of May financials. A discussion ensued about both April and May financials as well as timing of reports being received each month by board members. Trustee Jeffrey Luff expressed concern about wanting to review and approve financials closer to the months they represent. Brown said when the meeting falls earlier in the month it is a tight race for the team to finish compiling information. A short discussion ensued over pushing the meeting later in the month to help with this with no set result. Approval of May financials was tabled and will be on the August agenda.
Later on, the board and Brown discussed the recent budget hearing and added clarification on reported totals. They especially focused on the year over year differences as this showed a summary statement total increase of $2.7M. Brown explained that prior year budgets had only reflected operational spend, while the recently published budget shows total funds which include unappropriated or reserve funds. This adds restricted accounts such as levy monies, Capital Improvement Fund, and monies for special programs to the published total. The restricted money is not available for general spending. Brown explained this amounts to 65% of the fund balance being “legally restricted or non-spendable” and that “it cannot be redirected to classrooms or salaries.”
Brown added that while the state added an approximate 3% increase to advance certified staff on Idaho’s career ladder, there were no increases in funding in other areas. Fredrickson explained outside of the meeting that this is the second year in a row the district has not received an increase in funding for general operational expenses. Meanwhile costs for insurance, supplies, utilities, student meals and other salaries continue to grow. In addition, school enrollment remains flat meaning no additional per student income will be added by the state.
A second reading of high school graduation requirements was approved. Updates to the Future Readiness Project Handbook for senior projects were reviewed. Since this is not policy the handbook did not need official approval but was discussed and verbally praised. New standards for the state of Idaho have been passed and Fredrickson said most of the new standards have already been implemented by the school. She said this means any adjustments will not require a huge shift. This handbook goes out to high school seniors at the beginning of the school year to be reviewed by them and their parents or guardians.
Trustee Barbara Dixon introduced reading and approval of the school board mission statement and code of ethics. Both were approved unanimously. Board evaluations will be reviewed at the next meeting.
