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New Vandalia School District budget far from final

Though Vandalia school officials have a budget on display for the public to review, that document is far from final.
The problem, Superintendent Rich Well said Tuesday night, is that too many state funding issues are still up in the air.
“It’s a living document until we get more information from the state about funding,” Well said. “There are several big-number questions, and it’s all going to change.”
So, instead of having the budget in place when the fiscal year started on July 1, Well predicted it would be until mid-September until a final budget could be presented to the district board of education.
Though the new budget isn’t finalized, Well told the school board that it’s clear that the state-funded numbers will be down.
“We’re hearing that we’ll get at least a 25 percent cut in the transportation budget,” he said.
“Gov. Quinn has said that it is the parents’ responsibility to get their kids to school. The governor hasn’t been to Vandalia.”
Additionally, Well said that general state aid could be down as much as 11 percent. That funding is supposed to come to the district in 24 bi-weekly payments. Last year, however, the state did not make the 24th payment and paid only half of the 23rd payment – a cut of nearly $500,000.
Well isn’t budgeting that those funds will be reinstated in the 2012-13 fiscal year.
He also said that expenses can’t be finalized because the district hasn’t reached a collective bargaining agreement with its teachers.
In other action, the board approved field trip guidelines for schools in the district.
“We’ve never had an official field trip guideline before,” Well said. “This lays out what the policies are. Because we have transportation fund issues, we now have guidelines rather than being wide open as it has been in the past.”
Those policies are:
VCHS – The district will continue to pay for in-district trips and competitions. Out-of-district, non-competition trips must be paid for by the participating clubs and groups.
The district will pay for one out-of-district trip per semester for the Valiant Vandal Reward program.
VJHS – The district will continue to pay for in-district trips and competitions. Out-of-district, non-competition trips must be paid for by the participating clubs and groups. The district will pay for one out-of-district trip per year by grade-level groups. Guidance college trips will be paid for by the district using grant funds.
VES – The district will pay for one out-of-district grade-level trip per year and for the trip to the Carlyle Lake Earth Day.
VJPS – The district will pay for one out-of-district grade-level trip per year.
Well announced that three district schools have qualified to provide free breakfasts and lunches to all of its students based on the income levels of the students’ family.
Participating schools are Jefferson Primary School, Vandalia Elementary School and Vandalia Junior High School.
To qualify for the Community Eligibility Option (CEO) program, schools must have at least 40 percent of its students that qualify for the free meals.
By meeting that percentage, all students in the school can participate in the free meals.
“This program is trying to get away from individual household applications,” said Janine Lotz, district food service director.
“No one is identified as a free or reduced or paid; all students in those buildings will be eligible.
“We are trying to get more students to eat healthy meals,” Lotz said.
“Breakfast is very important, because studies have shown that students can concentrate better after eating a good breakfast. We are hoping that everyone will take advantage.”
Prices for breakfast are $1.25 per day or $6.25 per week in kindergarten through 12th grade. For lunch, the K-4 price is $2 per day or $10 per week while the grades 5-12 price is $2.25 per day or $11.25 per week. Extra milk is 35 cents and an extra entrée is $1.
Though the figures are still unofficial, the year-end numbers for the district show an operating fund balance of $4,438,270 at the end of the fiscal year on June 30. That’s down slightly from the $4.7 million balance last year at this time.
Year-end expenses this year were $13.8 million, down from $14 million last year.
Key dates for the start of the 2012-13 academic year are: registration, Tuesday, Aug. 7, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Wednesday, Aug. 8, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; teacher institute day, Thursday, Aug. 16; and first day for students, Friday, Aug. 17.
At the end of Tuesday’s meeting, the board took the following action:
• Approved bids for food and paper products for the cafeteria program.
• Approved the employment of Misty Thompson (VCHS cheer coach), Levi Halford (VJHS TLC aide), Rebekah Fairbanks (VCHS color guard coach) and John Hall (Okaw office tech instructor, part time).
• Approved new fee and handbook changes for the district.
• Approved Nick Casey as the VJHS eighth-grade boys basketball coach. (Joe Schaal will move to junior varsity boys basketball coach.)
• Approved the following volunteer coaches for the VCHS football program: Randy Shroyer, Matt Shroyer and Smokey Newsom.
• Approved Josh Beyers as volunteer percussion instructor. He is a member of the SIUE band.
• Approved an interfund loan of $10,000 from Working Cash to Debt Service.
• Approved a maternity leave for Sara Berg from Sept. 17 to Nov. 25.
The 75-minute meeting included a 40-minute closed session for the discussion of personnel and collective bargaining matters.
     
 

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