The Wayland Board of Education Monday evening adopted the fiscal year 2015-16 budget, but not without comment.
Some board members expressed dissatisfaction with learning about a $22,000 expense for athletic uniforms after budget deliberations had been completed, or so they thought.
The expenditure was not welcomed because during the public hearing earlier, it was noted the school district was about $9,000 short of meeting its goal of increasing the fund balance by a half to a full percent. Finance Director Bill Melching reported the fund balance went up by about $125,000.
Board Treasurer Toni Ordway said she was disappointed in learning of the expense for uniforms, insisting, “when we’re not meeting our goals, it seems frivolous.”
Board Vice President Tom Salingue replied, “It’s not a new expense.”
Superintendent Norm Taylo
r said the district customarily absorbs costs for such things as athletic equipment and uniforms and expects the Boosters Club to handle supplemental items and services..
“But,” he acknowledged, “it should have been brought up earlier (in the budgeting process).”
Ordway continued, “If we’re not meeting our (fund balance) goal, we need to ask ourselves if this is really needed… There is a perception that this is frivolous in the times we are facing.”
Trustee Janelle Timmerman-Hott added, “We’re the ones who catch the heat… We need to be better informed.”
Melching said the expenditure was one of 1400 items listed in the budget and he didn’t think the board had the time to examine every one individually.
“Going forward, we need better communications,” commented Board President Nancy Thelen.
There also was a lot of discussion about prospects for laying off a teacher, who would be Kaleigh Shuster at Dorr Elementary, who has the least seniority.
“It’s more of a procedural; thing at this time,” Taylor said. “It’s no reflection on her performance… I’m optimistic she’ll be back.”
The general fund budget is for about $26.8 million with just over $2 million in the fund balance. It was noted that state aid was set at $7,326 per pupil, the highest level since 2010-11, when it was $7,316.
The athletic budget is pegged at about $676,000 and revenue from the compact with the Gun Lake Casino has been estimated at just under $1.5 million. Expenses to be taken out of the casino fund include paying off the science wing addition at more than $290,000 a year and $168,321 annually for four years to equip all students and staff with iPad tablet computers.
The schools have decided to borrow money from Chemical Bank at the lowest bid of 1.64% to pay for the iPads and to purchase six new buses.
The largest of the figures, however, is the annual borrowing of between $1.8 million and $2 million to deal with a temporary cash flow problem in late summer and early fall. The schools pay back United Bank the following June through state aid payments.
The food service budget of $1.4 million continues to be in reasonably good shape, with a slight surplus.
PHOTO: Monday night’s budget hearing and work session was the first meeting for new administrative secretary Dawn Stein, who succeeds the retiring Pam Coleman. Stein had worked as a secretary at the high school for the past 16 years and had been at Baker and Moline one year each before that.
