2 new buses included in school budget
Two new buses represent the largest purchases in capital project expenditures for 2018-19 in Holyoke School District Re-1J. The June budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins July 1, was approved at the June 19 meeting of the Board of Education.
The new buses from Thomas Built Buses, through Transwest Trucks in Brighton, have been budgeted for a total of $200,000, with bid costs right around $193,000.
The first bus should be delivered after July 1, while the second will arrive this fall, probably in early October.
It is anticipated that the new buses will initially serve as both activity buses and backup route buses.
Budget and Finance Director Ben Rahe noted that the capital reserve budget includes more than the designated project expenditure sheet, in order to accommodate unanticipated expenses. For instance, someone was scheduled to look at repair for the air conditioning system at the JR/SR high building last week.
When asked about the greenhouse project, Rahe said because of inaccurate specifications, bids weren’t correct, and the cost was going to be $7,000 higher. Bids are being revised for a smaller greenhouse for a lower cost to move forward with the project.
Rahe said that two trees need removed for the greenhouse project, and that work can be done soon. The district has until Sept. 1 to spend the grant money for the greenhouse, and Rahe doesn’t anticipate a problem with that timeline.
The beginning fund balance for the June budget is $952,907. This is lower than is desired due to timing of some expenses with the BEST construction grant and delivery of textbook materials last June.
Rahe said projections indicate that the beginning fund balance will be back up after adjustments in the final audit this fall.
In his last board meeting as superintendent, John McCleary pointed out that they were conservative on salary increases for the 2018-19 budget. There was no increase to base salaries, so staff members received only a step increase.
McCleary also reported that they were able to fund a health insurance plan with only a 22 percent increase, as opposed to the anticipated 40 percent.
The district looked at plans with a higher deductible in order to get the expenses down. Single coverage will continue to be fully funded for employee health care.
Approval was given by the board for renewal of Advanced Benefits Health Insurance’s package for the 2018-19 school year.
After a budget hearing at last week’s board meeting, the 2018-19 budget was adopted with the following appropriations:
General Fund $ 7,546,482
Food Service $ 265,053
Bond Redemption $ 513,680
Trust and Agency $ 39,176
Pupil Activity $ 402,085
Total Approp. $8,766,476
McCleary reports on ballot initiative progress
Reporting on the citizens’ ballot initiative known as Great Schools, Thriving Communities, McCleary said that Senate District 1 (including Phillips County) has garnered all its required signatures, plus extras, to move toward getting the initiative on the Colorado ballot in November.
Statewide, signatures are still being solicited in order to meet the deadline to make it an official ballot initiative this fall.
Citing the projected impact if GSTC gets on the ballot and passes, McCleary said Holyoke School District would receive $1.1 million in additional ongoing revenue if the initiative were implemented for the 2018-19 school year.
Based on a projected student count of 603 for 2018-19, Holyoke’s per pupil funding will be $8,662.
The 2018-19 loss in per pupil revenue since the Great Recession (adjusted for inflation) is $788. However, the 2018-19 additional per pupil funding with GSTC would be $1,825.
GSTC proposes an additional tax on federal taxable income above $150,000, including a 1.37 percent tax increase for C corporations. According to the Colorado Legislative Council staff’s fiscal impact statement on the initiative, the income tax change will affect 8 percent of taxpayers.
Sixth-grade teacher hired
Amy Duvall was hired as one of the sixth-grade teachers at Holyoke Elementary School for the 2018-19 school year. She will focus on teaching sixth-grade reading and fifth/sixth-grade math.
She has nine years of special education paraprofessional experience in the Haxtun School District and another year in that same paraprofessional role working for Northeast BOCES at Dragon’s Wagon Preschool in Holyoke.
She completed her student teaching this past spring in a fourth-grade classroom in Haxtun and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in elementary education from Western Governors University in Utah.
In other personnel action, the board approved Bryan Beckner as an assistant HS football coach at a stipend of $1,861.
Other business
In other business at the June 19 meeting, the board:
— Noted there will not be a meeting July 3, and a board retreat is set for Tuesday, July 17.
— Approved a 10-cent average increase in meal prices for 2018-19. No increases were noted for K-12 breakfast ($1.75), 9-12 reduced lunch (40 cents), adult lunch ($3.35) and items not on salad bar (50 cents).
Ten-cent increases bring rates to $2.35 for K-6 lunch and $2.60 for 7-12 lunch. Adult breakfast costs went up 15 cents to $2.25, and extra milk went up 5 cents to 35 cents. A 25-cent increase was noted for additional breakfast ($1.25) and additional lunch entree ($1.25).