Colfax school district annual meeting increases salaries for school board members

By LeAnn R. Ralph

COLFAX  —  Colfax school board members will be paid $5 more per meeting and $50 more per year after April 30, 2019.

Increases in school board salaries were approved at the Colfax school district’s annual meeting July 23.

All members of the Board of Education currently make $90 per meeting, which will increase to $95 per meeting next April.

The school board president and the school board clerk receive $1,000 per year, which will increase to $1,050.

The school board directors receive $650 per year, which will increase to $700.

In addition, each school board member currently receives $175 per day, less payroll taxes, for attending the state school board convention.

After April 30, 2019, school board members will receive $200 per day for attending the state convention.

School board members also are paid mileage for attending meetings in the district, and when they are required to travel outside of the district on business pertaining to the school district, board members receive the Internal Revenue Service accepted mileage rate as well as actual and necessary expenses.

Revenue and expenses

The proposed budget for 2018-2019 reviewed at the annual meeting includes $9,184,456 in revenue and $9,115,247 in expenses.

The projected revenue for 2018-2019 represents an increase of $293,237 over the 2017-2018 budget, and an increase of $480,839 over the 2016-2017 budget.

The projected expenses for 2018-2019 represent an increase of $257,266 over the 2017-2018 budget, and an increase of $413,985 over the 2016-2017 budget.

The tax levy and the mill rate will be finalized in October when the school district receives notification of the exact amount of state aid and the September membership count has been finalized.

Tax levy

The total tax levy for the proposed 2018-2019 budget is expected to be $2,790,182, representing an increase of $45,044 over the tax levy of $2,745,138 for the 2017-2018 budget.

The tax levy for non-referendum debt service, which is included in the total tax levy, is projected at $251,292.

The tax levy for referendum debt service is listed at $339,888.

The tax levy of $2,790,182 compares to a levy of $2,781,921 for the 2017-2018 budget, representing an increase of $8,261.

The mill rate for the 2017-2018 budget was $8.41 per $1,000 of property value.

The lowest mill rate over the last 10 years was $8.03 per $1,000 of property value in 2010-2011.

The highest mill rate over the last 10 years was $8.98 per $1,000 of property value in 2011-2012.

The difference between the highest and lowest mill rates over the decade amounted to $95 per $100,000 of property value.

The school district’s lowest mill rate in the last 20 years was $6.45 per $1,000 of property value in 2002-2003.

Equalized value

The equalized value in the Colfax school district in 2017 was $330,704,479, compared to an equalized value in 2016 of $324,186,703, representing an increase of $6,517,76.

Between 2016 and 2017, all of the municipalities in the school district experienced an increase in equalized value, except for two.

The Town of Cooks Valley experienced a decrease in equalized value of $432,428 between 2016 and 2017, and the Town of Colfax experienced a decrease in equalized value of $376,525.

Federal aid

Federal aid in the Colfax school district for 2018-2019 will decrease by about $50,000.

Special project grants Title II-A will be about $19,000 this year, a decrease of approximately $16,000 over the previous amount of $35,000.

ESEA Title I-A will be $96,000 this year, a decrease of about $34,000 from the previous amount of $130,000.

Resolutions

The resolutions approved at the school district’s annual meeting were all approved unanimously and were the routine resolutions approved at every annual meeting, including:

• A resolution authorizing the school district president to provide for the prosecution or defense of any action or proceeding in which the school district has an interest.

• A resolution directing the school board to furnish hot lunches to any and all of the pupils in the school district and to pay for any deficiency resulting from the lunch program from the general fund.

• A resolution authorizing the school board to sell personal property belonging to the school district no longer used or needed for school purposes and authorizing the school board to determine which personal property is no longer used or needed and to sell by auction or private sale and for whatever price the school board feels is reasonable, proper and in the best interest of the school district.

• A resolution setting a tax levy not to exceed $2,790,182 with the understanding adjustments will be made in October following the September membership count not to exceed state allowable level.

• A resolution authorizing the school board to engage in short-term borrowing for cash flow purposes if necessary.

• A resolution changing the October school board meeting to the fifth Monday of the month due to the October 15 equalized aid release date and for setting the tax levy, and changing the April school board meeting to the fourth Monday of the month to align with the state statute to install newly elected board members, and also to consider moving the regular meeting date in November a week earlier because of Thanksgiving week.

• A resolution authorizing the school district to exceed the revenue limit on a non-recurring basis by the amount the school district will spend on new energy efficiency measures and renewable energy products for the 2018-2019 school year in the amount of $179,569.