USD 383 Board of Education

March 2, 2011
Kathy Dzewaltowski

Work session:
The work session focused on the budget. The proposed decreases in state per pupil funding will mean a decrease of $1.2 million to USD 383. The district will be receiving additional funds due to new facility weighting from the completed construction projects and from increased enrollment which would also raise the budget authority of the Local Option Budget. Increased enrollment and the expansion of facilities will necessitate hiring 4 additional teachers and 3 custodians and require more textbooks and classroom supplies.

Regular meeting:
The board received a report on Professional Learning Time (PLT) at the high school. PLT focuses on professional development, school improvement, and student achievement. Pete Paukstelis wanted to see an analysis that would show that PLT is valuable and has measurable outcomes, and Curt Herrman agreed. The PLT coordinator said that teachers do develop measurable "smart goals," and she could provide the board with the information at a future meeting.

Board members were presented with the 95% completed construction documents for Marlatt Elementary. The plans call for adding a gym and classrooms. Several board members were concerned about the city's requirement that the district address storm water drainage at Marlatt. They felt the drainage should not be solely the district's responsibility because the run-off does not come from the district's property. Paukstelis also asked about the project's budget and said he was worried that the plans have been designed to fit the budget and not the programming needs. The board approved the construction documents 7-0. In other construction news, the high school's project manager reported that the project is ahead of schedule and should be completed by the start of the 2012-13 school year.

The board returned to the budget discussion begun in the work session. Board members debated how to use the new facility weighting funds that the district will receive for 2 years after a construction project is completed. The funds will not be a long-term revenue source. Susan Marshall didn't want to base the budget on temporary funds and suggested using them for one-time expenses, such as textbook purchases. Doug Messer and Paukstelis agreed and also suggested using the funds for maintenance of the new facilities. Board members Walt Pesaresi and Dave Colburn thought the funds should be used as a "bridge" to hire new teachers and to prevent needing to raise the mill levy until such time that state funding increases. Superintendent Bob Shannon presented his recommendations for the budget, which included using $110/per pupil from the district's reserves ($654,000) and identifying additional budget cuts amounting to $600,000. Shannon also recommended using the new facility weighting funds to prevent cuts that would devastate the district and hope that the state's finances get better before the funds run out.

The board discussed the 2011-12 school calendar. Marshall suggested resuming school on Jan. 4 following Winter Break instead of Jan. 5, which would then mean May 25 could be used as an inclement weather make-up day. The board tabled the calendar discussion to allow administration to investigate additional options.

Board members also discussed a bill in the Kansas Legislature that would move school board elections from the spring to November. Nancy Knopp, Pesaresi, and Marshall supported the change because it would save money by eliminating an election and new board members would take office earlier before having to vote on the budget in August. Paukstelis and Messer disagreed and thought changing the date would take the focus off the local races and potentially make them more partisan. The board took no action, but Knopp encouraged individual board members to contact the local delegation with their thoughts.