Cloverdale to publish proposed budget

CLOVERDALE -- The Cloverdale School Board approved publication of the Proposed 2017 Budget, Capital Projects Plan and School Bus Replacement Plan as Superintendent Greg Linton presented them during its Monday meeting.

In his presentation, Linton related that the Proposed 2017 Budget concerns the following funds: the general fund; the debt service fund; the capital project fund; the transportation fund; the bus replacement fund; the pension bond fund and the rainy day fund.

In creating the budget, it was assumed that: There would be no new certified positions or salary increases paid by the general fund; group insurance costs would increase by 9 percent; utilities as well as property and casualty insurance costs would increase by 10 percent; average daily membership (ADM) would decrease by 30 students; and utilities in the amount of $165,000 would be paid by the capital projects plan, which is a "legislative allowance" lasting for the next six years.

Linton also reported that the ADM has decreased by a total of 215 students since 2005, which "is not uncommon for a rural school district." He also said that cash balances in the general fund are improving since the board made spending cuts several years ago.

In total, the proposed budget requests a total rate of $2.19, which would create a levy of $4,490,238. Linton was quick to caution that the rate officially approved by the Department of Local Government Finance (DLGF) will probably be smaller. The final budget will be based on the DLGF's approved rate; actual funding generated by ADM; excise tax; financial institutions tax; federal sources; additional state money/transfers; the operating balance in each fund and state revenue collections.

All documents can be viewed at gateway.ifionline.org.

In other developments:

-- The board approved adding a price increase for adult lunches to $3.50 after Food Service Director Billy Boyette was contacted by the state.

-- The board approved adding attendance criteria to the corporation's teacher evaluation tool, which it also approved.

-- Band Director Jared Metzger and Clover Command drum majors delivered a report on the band's progress.

"It's been an amazing beginning to my career," Metzger said. "Everybody I've spoken to can't believe what we've been up to the last month. The support from everybody's been overwhelming. For me, the Washington (D.C.) trip -- it was a fantastic transition. Bill and I did a transition of power in the nation's capital, which that really meant a lot. When we were touring the Smithsonian that fit our situation to a tee: 'The true test of America's young democracy is not in the election of its first president, but rather the transfer of the office to its second.' It could not have been done in a better way.

"About two weeks ago, we went to the Noblesville Black and Gold Invitational and we decided to stay for the night show. While our students were watching the awards and accepting them, we were in critique. We said, 'Make sure and meet us right by the high jump pit.' So critique got over. I walked out of the building, looked at the high jump pit; no one was there. I'm thinking, 'Three weeks in, I've lost the band.'

"But about 50 yards down I see the entire band. I walked up and everyone's eating a bunch of food. So I asked them, 'Where did you get all this food?' They said, 'The ladies in the concession gave us this free food.' So I went over to thank the ladies in the concession. And when I did, they said, 'Oh, this is the classiest group of students that we have ever seen. They volunteered to help us clean up the bleachers, and we decided to reward them with some free food.' This is what I've stepped into."

In other business:

-- Daniel Hofmann was absent.

-- The board approved the July claims at a total of $578,162.14, a nearly $250,000 decrease from June's claims and $91,500 below the April to July average.

-- The board approved the following personnel report:

-- Employment: Laura Mabry (elementary developmental pre-K teacher), Krista Gardner (pre-K teacher), Matthew Welch (instructional assistant) and Terry Monnett (elementary, middle school cafeteria); Ivy Oberkrom (middle school, instructional assistant); Kyle Walter (high school math teacher) and Lauren McHugh (media center/technology specialist)

-- Resignations: Lisa Rambo (elementary special education teacher) and Sara Varnes (instructional assistant); and Heather Nees (high school math teacher)

-- Coaching: Greg Thomas (resignation, high school varsity assistant boys' basketball coach; volunteer, high school varsity assistant boys'/girls' basketball coach); Karl Turk (hire, high school varsity assistant boys' basketball coach); and Kyle Walter (volunteer, high school assistant cross country coach)

The next Cloverdale School Board meeting will be Aug. 12 at 7 p.m. in the administration building.