NEELYVILLE, Mo. -- Neelyville school board members learned Thursday night that a bump in federal money may allow the district's budget to be in the black for 2017-2018.
The district, according to Superintendent Brad Hagood, deficient spent by about $182,000 for the current year due to expenses, such as a new roof for the gymnasium, security cameras and a classroom addition, which were paid for out of its capital projects fund.
Some of the money, he said, will be reimbursed in the upcoming school year.
"If we're going to do bigger projects out of our own money, then we are going to have to deficient spend from time to time," Hagood said.
For the upcoming fiscal year, Hagood said, he initially calculated the district deficient spending about $25,000; however, that changed due to the allotment the district will receive in federal money for Title I, Title II and all other federal programs, including special education.
"They tell you the exact number you're going to get," said Hagood, who indicated those numbers move the district from $25,000 in the red to about $35,000 in the black.
Since he didn't initially have access to the numbers, Hagood said, he used last year's figures in the budget, but later learned "I had more money than I had originally budgeted in Title I, and I had money in Title IV.
"We haven't gotten any Title IV money in eight years."
The district, he said, received $10,000 in Title IV money, which will be used to pay the salary of the alternative classroom teacher. Using the money for his salary, Hagood said, is allowable as the classroom helps improve graduation rates and slash drop-out rates.
The money for that salary, Hagood said, freed up money in other parts of the budget.
In Title I, Hagood said, the district is getting "quite a bit more money than we got last year. Why we got more money, I don't know.
"What that allowed me to do was do another salary in the Title I fund and release money in the" elementary area.
Having more federal money allowed "our state and local money" to be used elsewhere, he said.
The projected revenues are $5,901,024, and projected expenditures are $5,865,774, with a projected ending balance of $35,250.
With exception of the federal money, Hagood said, the district's revenues are basically the same.
"There was a small increase in our state aid, but, at the same time, there was a small decrease in our transportation," Hagood explained.
Revenue for early childhood also should be up since the district added another classroom last year, he said.
About 75 percent of the expenses, Hagood said, goes toward salaries and benefits, including retirement and insurances.
The operations/maintenance portion of the budget, said Hagood, includes capital projects.
"Last year, if you remember, I had quite a big budgeted in that for capital projects," Hagood said.
For the upcoming year, Hagood said, he only budgeted $20,000 because there aren't any "major, major projects we are going to be doing" but was budgeted "just in case there is something we want to do."
Before the board unanimously approved the budget, board President John French acknowledged he was glad to see the district "back in the black."
In presenting the salary schedules, Hagood said, they reflect a $600 increment increase for certified employees and a $50 to $250 increment increase for non-certified employees.
"The only thing I changed on any of these, the non-certified, I've tried to add a step each year," said Hagood.
Hagood also presented the supplement salary schedule, which has had "nothing change on that for the last couple of years."
The schedules were unanimously approved.
The district, Hagood said, only received one bus bid from Midwest Transit Management for what he described as a little bus, which was found to be "our greatest need" at this time.
Board member Dean Fisher opened the bid and announced the purchase prices as: $57,644 for a 21-passenger bus; $58,700 for a 26-passenger; and $60,420 for 28-passenger.
Hagood said he budgeted $60,000 for the purchase, and indicated the "key to this" is the wheelchair lift as the district will have two wheelchair-bound students next year.
The prices for a straight lease, according to Fisher, ranged from about $8,000 to $8,500 for five years.
The lease-purchase cost for five years, he said, ranged from $12,278 to $12,815.
"There's not enough difference (in price) to just give up seven seats," Fisher said. "If you've budgeted it already, just go ahead and buy it; then we can keep it around as long as we want."
The board members also discussed other uses for the bus, including sports team travel, and asked about the possibility of adding a hitch to pull a trailer.
After a call to the company, Hagood was told the cost would be $750.
"We can put one on cheaper," French said.
Hagood said he would check with the insurance carrier to see if adding a hitch is allowable.
The board unanimously approved the purchase of a 2017 Chevrolet Collins 28-passenger bus, as well as discussed transferring money into the district's capital project fund.
"The last couple of years, we have transferred money in order to do some of these bigger projects," said Hagood, who indicated district will end the year with about $110,000 in the fund.
"If we want to, we can leave that there and not transfer any money now, and next year, if we spend all of that ... we could transfer that over" to cover any projects, said Hagood.
"I'm going to be dead honest, I don't know that we've got the money to do any big capital projects right now," said Hagood. " ... We've done about all we can spend without running some type of bond issue or tax levy increase."
Board member Paul Petty said he felt the board could "hold off until next year."
Hagood's recommendation unanimously was approved, as was the seeking of bids for LP gas for next year.
Elementary Principal Aaron Burton also told the board about proposed student handbook changes.
After extensive discussion, the board unanimously approved all the changes, except the addition of a dual-credit drop clause.
The clause would say: "In extreme circumstances, a student may request to drop a dual-credit course within the first 10 days after the start of the course and replace it with a NHS offering."
If the student drops after that time, "he/she will receive an F on the Neelyville transcript."
French disagreed with the change, saying 10 days was "no time at all," and even 14 days is "not enough time, in my opinion."
Dropping on day 11 and getting an F for the semester, French said, doesn't seem right, and he won't vote for it. "We need to do something else with the kid after the second week of the semester," he said.
As it is now, school officials say dual-credit students can drop at any time, which may be too late to get into a regular class and earn credit.
The clause will be discussed again at the board's July meeting.
The approved changes include staff assignments, extra curricular activities (students will be eligible to participate with a D if conditions met), added courses (sports management, art appreciation, drawing, music appreciation and intro to marketing), credit recovery change from PLAtO to A+LS, bullying policy updated and food service management policy.