Mt. Vernon school board reviews finances, lower attendance would cut funding

The Mt. Vernon school board focused on preparations for the coming school year, looking at finances, personnel, and ongoing construction at its July 16 meeting. 

Superintendent Christina West reported several patrons have asked if the school board would take a stand on Amendment 5 in the August 4 primary. She noted some have reported the district will lose $2 million under the new state budget. West considered that total inaccurate, as it’s based on revenues from the current year of $32 million, which includes bond money to build the high school performing arts center. 

“At the DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education) conference, we should get more information,” West said. “Other things will be affecting school funding more. I don’t feel we have enough information for the board to make an informed decision.”

West further noted the district will operate in the coming year on a $21 million budget. 

The legislature-proposed Amendment 5 calls for the elimination of state income tax and opening the door for lawmakers to approve new sales taxes on goods and services presently exempt. Board President Danny Bowling called the proposal “a train wreck in the making.” Board vice president Nathan Schoen observed, “I’ve never known government spending to go down,” casting skepticism on the idea that the proposal would be revenue neutral for the state. 

No motion was made to take a stand on the amendment, which comes to a vote before the school board will meet again.

Tax levy hearing 

On other financial issues, board members voted to hold their annual tax levy hearing at the beginning of the next board meeting on Aug. 20. They also agreed to hold prices to athletic events the same for next school year. Board members approved applying for the federal food subsidy program. Meal prices were approved in June. 

Board members approved the district’s contract with Monett to send two students to the GO CAPS program for the coming year. One would attend the education strand, and the other would attend the agribusiness strand. 

Attendance down

West reported the school year ended with a total student count of 1,290.46, down by 44 students from last year, the consistent tally throughout the year. West noted that this was the last year the district could ride on a higher three-year average. Consequently, unless enrollment rises in the coming year, state funding will decline due to lower student numbers. 

Summer maintenance heats up

Maintenance director Jonathan Aldrich reviewed progress on the summer maintenance plan. He reported his team repaired four heating and air conditioning units at the high school that had control or mechanical issues. Problems with air in the computer lab had finally been corrected. The science classroom controls still were not showing accurate numbers on the screen. The high school library and gym still required attention. One unit at the elementary school required an outside technician. Some of the drain lines also needed to be cleaned out. 

In response to board member Schoen’s assertion that the ground source heating and cooling system for the high school had not been maintained properly, Aldrich said tests did not show any corrosion on the pipes. He was considering replacing the Kansas City-based firm working on the system with a more local company that wanted to add another chemical to the system to make it last longer.

West praised the maintenance team for tackling the wide range of projects during the summer break. 

PAC construction

West provided an update on the performing arts center construction. She discussed moving the control booth out from under a ceiling overhang to improve the sound. Lentils had finally arrived for installation, along with the structural bricks. Framing had been completed in all areas and sheet rock installation was 95 percent complete. New brick columns were found to be “quite a bit” narrower than the older columns, so adjustments were made to make them match. She asked about tying the sidewalks into the existing walkway around the high school. Construction manager Veregy agreed to cover all that work. 

Project schedule

The band room and the commons area would be finished by the beginning of school. The auditorium, West said, should be done by mid-September. 

Personnel

In personnel action, board members agreed to classify two teaching jobs as critical shortage positions. That allows flexibility in hiring retirees. West reported the current teachers, Kaylynn Pennell teaching seventh grade social studies, and Allen Stolte teaching high school business, would continue in those positions. A critical shortage position is only available in core subjects and requires a lack of qualified applicants and filling out a survey by the employee. 

Next meeting

The next board meeting was scheduled for Aug. 20.