According to Mark Rhonemus, treasurer/CFO, that figure is all-inclusive with the exception of amounts held in student activity funds. He explained that the general fund of the total budget which covers regular classroom instruction, special education, transportation and administration, accounts for $16,419,000 of the total. Of that total amount approximately $2 million is generated from local tax revenue.
The rest of the funds in the total appropriation includes lunch room, insurance, construction, bond retirement money, and state and federal funds and specifically designated grants. In the Meigs Local School District approximately 79 percent of all instructional funds come from the state, the treasurer said.
It was reported at the meeting that three grants have been received by the district, all for designated programs, in the total amount of about $141,000. The largest is a federal grant for $120,000 designated for Title I, School Improvement. Superintendent William Buckley said that a decision on the use of the funds is still pending but that hiring a reading or math coach at the elementary level is one use under consideration.
The other grants were $16,102.49, a Washington State Community College Tech Prep grant for use in that high school program, and a $5,000 grant from Mr. and Mrs. Thomas J. DiMarco, through the Columbus Foundation in the amount of $5,000 earmarked for the Meigs Primary Elementary School’s school-wide rewards program.
Financial expenditures considered and approved by the Board members included payment of district funds to facilitate an agreement with Milestone Benefits Agency, Inc. for the provision of consulting services for the district’s employees regarding benefit plans at a cost of $34 per employee enrolled in the medical plan per month. The agreement became effective today (Jan. 1, 2009.)
Also approved by the Board were payments of the annual membership fee with the Ohio School Boards Association in the amount of $5,938, renewal of the annual Briefcase/School Management News subscriptions in the amount of $295; and the renewal of the Legal Assistance Fund Consultant Service Contract in the amount of $250 for the period of Jan. 1, 2009 through Dec. 31, 2009.
As for personnel, Superintendent Buckley recommended and received Board approval for hiring of Brent Bissell as the junior varsity baseball coach for the 2009 season effective immediately; Lawrence R. Powell as a substitute custodian for the current school year to be used on an as-needed basis, and Eric Brown, Beverly Burdette Osterland, Rachel Farcas, Janel Kennedy, Christian Peterson, and Herbert Skaggs, as substitute teachers for the current school year to be used on an as-needed basis.
On recommendation of Board member Ron Logan, the Board voted unanimously to increase sports’ officials pay at the Middle School from $45 to $50 per game.
In other action, the Board discussed and approved the changed date for the Meigs Intermediate School field trip, now May 11-14, to places of historical and educational significance as well as places providing entertainment located in Northern Ohio. It was noted that stipulations set forth earlier still apply. Since the trip is now to take place during the school year, it was strongly urged that 100 percent attendance be encouraged. It was noted that to date only 49 of the students have “committed” to go on the trip.
The organizational meeting and budget hearing for the Meigs Local School Board was set for Jan. 13 at 7 p.m. with the regular meeting to follow. Scott Walton was appointed to be president pro-tempor for that meeting.
Attending the meeting besides Superintendent Buckley, Treasurer Rhonemus and Board members Walton and Logan, were Roger Abbott, Barbara Musser, and Larry Tucker.
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