Preliminary budget for next year approved by Boyceville School Board

BOYCEVILLE – The school board took action to approve a preliminary draft of the 2013-2014 school budget. They also heard administrators reports, reviewed employee handbook revisions, approved a four-year technology plan and renewed their SAGE commitment for another five years at their meeting on Monday, June 17.

 District Superintendent Kevin Sipple reported to the board on the coming school year budget by telling the board that the proposed expenditures are “pretty actual” at some $8.3 million in Fund 10. But he noted that the income was just a guess at this time, as the state legislature is just starting to work on their budget. Sipple’s proposed budget showed an estimated deficit of  $56,290.00.

He discussed with the board about the state increasing student aid by $150.00 per student in the state budget, but he noted that during the current year the state had raised it fifty dollars and Sipple said that legislators had not taken that into consideration. But Sipple told the board, “when all is said and done we will have a balanced budget in October.” October is the date when the board must finalize the school budget to have information ready for property tax time.

During the summer months, the school board is holding their meetings at Tiffany Creek Elementary School and the board will have only one meeting in July and that will be on July 8th and will start at 6:00 p.m.

During his report to the board, Elementary School Principal Nick Kaiser told about the Data training they had at CESA. “We brought back a lot of information on how to use the new tools that are out there.” He also noted to the board about the end to the school year with their annual school picnic. “We served 653 individuals,” he said.

Steve Glocke, Middle/Senior High School Principal talked to the board about graduation and that it went very well in the Gymatorium and indicated that the sound system and videos were much better. He also thanked board member Tim Sempf for presenting the diplomas to the graduates.

Glocke’s report discussed the summer school and that “13 middle school students are working to furthering their skills to help prepare them for the upcoming school year. In addition another six middle school and five high school students are doing remediating work, through Odysseyware, for a single class to raise their grades to the passing level.

Later in the meeting Glocke presented the school 2013-2016 Technology plan with a prepared document and a video presentation. The presentation listed four goals including: Student Achievements; Effective Teaching and Learning Practices; Access to information and resources and learning tools; and Support System and leadership. He highlighted several items in the plan including to support an electronic student record system and he added that they will “provide an on-line training tool for people who come into our buildings from time to time.”

Special Education Director Bonnie Baker talked to the board about the ongoing training that the staff needs and that Jeff Hoff recently completed an instructor certification program. “We had 18 people trained last year and they have to be re-certified, and Jeff will do that.” Her report noted that Hoff had already trained four of the staff.

During his report, Superintendent Sipple told the board that he wanted new employees to meet members of the school board. With that, he introduced Eric Barnhardt to the school board. Barnhardt is the new maintenance worker for the school district. He also noted about summer project and said that the new exhaust fans are being installed in the Gymatorium. Sipple also presented the board with the district’s new Alternative Teaching Compensation Plan. After much discussion the board approved the plan, and Board President, Gail Stark praised the administration staff for all the hard work they did putting the plan together.

The board discussed the five-year SAGE program. Sage is a state funded program called “Student Achievement Guarantee in Education and the Boyceville School has been involved in the program since it first was introduced.

The SAGE program requires that classes K-3 are kept at the low number of 18 students or less per class. Board President, Stark had some reservations about budgeting with the program in effect. She felt if they could have a two-year contract, it“would be better.” Sipple noted that if the school drops out of the program, it would never be able to get back into it. In the school preliminary budget it showed a Sage Aid income at $288,000.

The board approved the resignation requests from Zachary Schultz as secondary English teacher and Doug Palmer as Middle School Wrestling Coach.