Posted on

Board approves budget reductions of nearly $590,000

By James Grob, jgrob@charlescitypress.com

The Charles City School Board of Education approved a revised list of budget reductions at its meeting Monday, projected to save the district nearly $590,000.

At the recommendation of Superintendent Dan Cox, replacements for staff taking early retirement should result in a savings of more than $317,000, and savings from reducing insurance costs, discretionary spending and reducing three coaching positions is projected to be nearly $272,000.

Cox presented a list in February of 19 ways the district could cut spending by up to $498,000, as the district is anticipating the need for about $575,000 in cost reductions for 2018-19 due to declining enrollment and reductions in state aid.

The list has gone through several revisions. The result in cuts is more than $90,000 deeper than the original list.

Staff who will retire and be replaced by younger teachers at a financial savings to the district are Anna Burnham, K-4 teacher librarian; Marilyn Buttjer, high school German; Ardi Giselson, high school English; Dene Lundberg, high school FCS; Al Nielson, high school industrial tech; Pat Rottinghaus, high school counselor; Connie Schiller, library aid; and Sharon Kamoss, Washington secretary. Staff that will retire whose positions will not be filled are Laura McDermott, K-6 tech; and Denise Holzer, 12-month confidential secretary.

Coaching positions removed are two middle school volleyball coaches and one high school boys basketball coach.

Four items from the original list were removed from the chopping block. Those include freezing administration salaries, reducing one high school wrestling coach, sharing communications and community engagement and reducing on elementary teacher.

The original figure of $575,000 included a 1 percent settlement with the teachers union and the support staff union, although neither union has settled with the district yet. The projected savings might be offset by a slightly higher settlement.

In other business, the board discussed at length the potential timeline for presenting the high school modernization plan to voters, but took no action. Cox informed the directors that the next two available dates for a vote would come in September and again in December. Most board members seemed to believe that December was a more realistic date than September. The directors discussed realigning the modernization task force, perhaps starting in June, to further consider the issue.

In other action, the board approved to establish and publish a salary range for the new superintendent. The salary range will be listed at $150,000 to $170,000. Cox’s salary as superintendent is currently $155,225. The district will be taking applications for a new superintendent until April 29. The directors also agreed to set the hiring date for the new superintendent at Monday, May 21.

Also on Monday, the board also heard public comment from sixth-grade student Josiah Cunnings, who organized a student walkout last week. Cunnings explained to the board that he had organized the protest without help from teachers or staff, and explained to the board how the national trend of gun violence in schools had frightened him and other students, which was why he organized the walkout.

The board also heard Monday from six middle school teachers who had attended a Deeper Learning Conference in San Diego in March. The teachers shared their plans for implementation of what they learned at the conference during the next school year, and all said that the conference had a positive professional impact on their work.

In other business Monday, the board:

— Unanimously agreed to hire Taher Inc. as the district’s food service management company, contingent on approval from the state. Taher Inc. and Lunchtime Solutions both submitted bids for the job. The evaluation team recommended Taher, which currently performs the services.

— Unanimously approved the resignations of Angela Willey, sixth-grade social studies teacher; Rachel Wolf, 7-12 family and consumer science teacher; Ruth Field, ELL instructional assistant.

— Unanimously approved the appointments of Alexandra Holbach, special education teacher; Jodie Johnson, middle school and high school agricultural teacher.

— Unanimously approved the transfers of Elizabeth Van Hagen, Strategist I, from Washington to Lincoln; Ryan Fink, Strategist II, from Lincoln to Washington; Jodie Welter, Strategist I at the middle school, to include Immaculate Conception; and Jenisha Garden, Strategist I, from Lincoln to the middle school.

— Unanimously approved the following summer workers, at $9 per hour: Theo Arndt, Carol Cole, Misty Fielder, Terri Hay, Wendy LaBarge, Melany Pleggenkuhle, Dylan Salinas, Christine Schlader, Julie Tjabring, and Rachel Sullivan.

— Unanimously approved to set the date of May 14 for a public hearing of the 2018-19 school calendar.

Social Share

LATEST NEWS