School funded count likely down 2

    Moving out of the count period for school funding last week, Holyoke School District’s estimated funded count for state equalization for 2017-18 is 587.3, reported Superintendent John McCleary at the Oct. 17 school board meeting.
    This represents a slight drop of two from the previous year’s 589.2.
    In further analysis of the first-quarter financial report, McCleary noted the district has been successful in its attempt to increase the free and reduced lunch numbers. An effort was made to get the applications out to people, and as a result more were completed.
    With regard to finances, the higher number of free and reduced lunch students is part of the school finance equation and helps with per-pupil funding for the district.
    Grant projects have skewed both revenues and expenditures for capital projects, but all other expenditures are in line for projections regarding quarterly breakouts, noted McCleary.
    
Chartwells invests in new stove/oven for Holyoke
    In the monthly food service report from Chartwells, McCleary noted that the district has $8,000 in Chartwells investment money to use as a result of choosing not to go with the new point of sales.
    The money will cover a new stove and hopefully a few small pieces of equipment for the high school. This is Chartwells’ investment in Holyoke and will be at no cost to the district.
    The district’s stove/oven has been red-tagged by the gas company and is no longer usable, noted McCleary.
    
Other business
    In other business Oct. 17, the school board:
    —Set a special meeting for Monday, Nov. 13, at 6 p.m. for newly elected board members to take their oaths of office and to reorganize the board.
    —Heard from senior Tyler Lamm, who thanked them for sending him to the upcoming Colorado Association of School Boards student leadership strand as a facilitator this year.
    —Approved Gabriel Marner as JH/HS volunteer boys basketball coach.
    —Accepted nonresident students Riley and Wyatt Klinzmann from the Yuma School District.
    —Approved second reading of four CASB policies on safe schools, records retention, violent and aggressive behavior, and public conduct on school property.
    —Heard from McCleary and board member Dennis Herman that there was a good meeting and good turnout at the Oct. 11 Rural Alliance meeting with Sen. Jerry Sonnenberg and Rep. Jon Becker.