School district keeping close eye on spending

In an abbreviated 40-minute meeting, the Vandalia School Board on Monday handled a light agenda of business and heard reports from building principals about end-of-semester events scheduled before the semester break.
Superintendent Rich Well also gave a report on the district’s financial condition.
“Right now, we continue to be in a good position financially,” Well said. “But with so much uncertainty about the funding from the state, we really don’t know. We’re keeping an eye on our expenditures. We have a long way to go in the school year.”
Well also said that Fayette County Supervisor of Assessments Cindy Lotz said that she’s anticipating about a 1-percent growth in the county’s Equalized Assessed Valuation. That will mean, Well said, that growth in funding available for the school district will be minimal.
In his financial report, Well said that the district’s total fund balance is nearly $7.8 million, with nearly $5.4 million in the four operating accounts over which the board has spending discretion.
He said that the district has received 95 percent of the property tax funding that it will get for the fiscal year, which ends next June 30. From now to that time, the only additional revenues will come from the state, and that,  said, is always a little hard to predict.
After a brief executive session to discuss personnel issues, the board took the following action:
• Approved the destruction of executive session audio recordings older than 18 months.
• Approved the first reading of the IASB policy updates.
• Approved the following volunteer assistant coaches: Tammy Isiah (Vandalia Community High School girls basketball), Mitch Johnson (VCHS boys basketball), Austin Wollerman (VCHS boys basketball) and Darin Wells (sixth-grade boys basketball).
• Approved VCHS graduation date – Saturday, May 18.
• Approved the resignations of Luke Hohlt and Beth Kern as VCHS student council sponsors.