A budget approved Thursday by the Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education would allow the district to pay cash for a proposed multi-million dollar building project slated to begin this fall and a new policy for teachers aiming to crack down on absenteeism.
Superintendent Scott Dill also discussed his approval of an additional summer school program to be held at Lake Road Elementary beginning next month.
Approval of the 2018-19 budget came with a unanimous vote in the absence of board president John Scott and member Jerrod Murphy.
Proposed by Assistant Superintendent of Finance Rod Priest during last week's open-session workshop, the district's operating budget is approximately $50 million, while it's capital projects budget is closer to $5 million.
The proposed Early Childhood Center to be constructed at the Kindergarten Center is anticipated to cost roughly $6.8 million, Priest said. Due to an expected capital project reserve of "close to $13 million" a cash payment is feasible, he added.
Priest said he supports paying the project in full so as not to "burden future boards" with a 20-year payment out of the existing capital projects levy. A new early childhood center will wrap up all major projects from phase one of the district's improvement plan.
The approved budget includes a 3.34 percent raise for district faculty and staff after insurance and benefits and elimination of more than $800,000 in outstanding debt service.
A portion of the eliminated debt service includes bonds from 2008, with a remaining amount of $561,000. These bonds were refinanced in 2014 to garner a lower interest rate. Paying off the bonds, Priest said, may have an impact on the tax levy rate in Fiscal Year 2019-20.
"(Paying off the bonds) will not free up funds," Priest said. "Bonds are levied and paid off out of our debt service account restricted to paying off bond debt. This will either reduce the levy in FY20 or move debt from a lease to a bond, but would require a no levy increase ballot issue."
Currently the district's local operating tax levy is the state minimum of $2.75. Its debt service tax levy is $0.168, below the $0.18 that was addressed at the beginning of the debt in 2014 and the capital projects tax levy is $0.7001, Priest said.
Staff absences
Board members unanimously approved a personnel policy regarding absences and tardiness for teachers and staff. According to Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Dr. Amy Jackson, employee attendance has been outlined in the school district's employee handbook, but no official board policy was in place.
School board member Alana Robertson said prior to her retirement from Poplar Bluff R-1 in 2007, there had been a district attendance policy. However, it was unclear during the meeting why or when the existing policy was removed.
The new board policy aims to hold teachers and staff accountable to the regulations outlined in the handbook.
The policy states, "Even if the absence or tardiness is authorized by the board or the superintendent, if the absence or tardiness occurs for a reason not granted as paid leave under board policy or if it exceeds the number of days the employee has been granted under a designated leave, the employee's salary will be docked. Violation of this policy constitutes misconduct and may result in the loss of unemployment benefits if a claim is filed."
Summer school at Lake Road
Lake Road Elementary, Dill said, will hold for the first time an end-of-summer school program in an effort to prepare students for the start of school in August.
Currently Lake Road is the only school in the district whose kids will receive the opportunity to attend the session, Dill explained. However, he added that if successful and once the kinks are worked out, he is "all for expanding this."
Dill said he made the school board aware of the situation prior to the meeting and that he gave it the go ahead because of Lake Road's low enrollment numbers. He also said the enthusiasm displayed by principal Erica Weadon was a factor.
Reading program
Board members approved in a 5-0 vote the elementary reading curriculum called Fountas and Pinnell Classroom at a cost of approximately $300,000 for a three-year subscription.
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum Patty Robertson said the program will streamline elementary reading materials and resources district-wide. Hopefully, she said, the purchase will improve current reading practices and increase student achievement.
In other business, the board approved two foreign exchange students at the high school and a $407,455 expenditure to purchase 1,600 Chromebooks for the 2018-19 school year.
The transportation program evaluation and assessment and the booster club's annual report received approval, along with a paper bid from Premier Paper and Packaging of Columbia, Mo., at $23.44 per case.
The next regular meeting of the Poplar Bluff R-1 Board of Education is scheduled for 7 p.m. Thursday, July 19 in the Board of Education Room at 1110 North Westwood Boulevard.