“There’s always a dozen what ifs when budgeting for the entire year, but our revenue assumptions remain the same. Constellation is the biggest taxpayer, CPPRT revenue was budgeted for about 28% less than the previous fiscal year, we have no debt or outstanding bonds, and we’re funded primarily locally but do receive state and a little bit of federal funding. Those are the big highlights, everything else is similar to last month’s presentation,” he told the board.
He expects the county’s Equalized Assessed Valuation (EAV) revenue to increase next year, with the district’s tax levy discussions to begin next month. Salaries are the largest expenditure within the education fund. A few line-item adjustments to the capital project budget were made at the suggestion of the auditor so the accounts will be easier to track but overall totals from the tentative budget presentation in August did not change.
The overall total fund balances will decrease due to the elementary building project, however, the district is “in a healthy situation and is in a fiscally positive position, even after paying for the construction project, which is unheard of,” Milem summarized.
Board President Jason Norman said the budget paints a “very positive picture,” especially when considering projects for the next 3-4 years. “We’ll get through this up and down and see where we land. Overall, it’s still a good budget.”
With no public comments, the budget hearing adjourned and the board started their regular meeting. The first item was recognition of two seniors for their outstanding work: Clara Ashdown and Jenna Dreisbach for their SAT scores and recognition from the College Board for their academic successes. Only 72,000 students in the country are recognized for this accomplishment and Erie CUSD 1 has two of those students.
In the administrative report, Milem stated there was an annual crisis meeting with local police and fire departments on Sept. 1; intruder drills will be held Sept. 28 and public notification has gone out; fire drills will be held Oct. 13 in conjunction with Fire Prevention Week; parent/teacher conferences are Oct. 4-5, and the National Honor Society induction will be on Oct. 11. There was a Health Life Safety inspection on Sept. 11, and Homecoming Week and activities were a success.
Milem provided an update on the building construction while seeking the board’s approval to use contingency dollars built into the budget. He said “our construction manager, Estes, needs to make timely decisions to keep things running smoothly while renovations are underway.” A recent example was whether to remove an unexpected structural wall by the concession stand, with contractors first studying the integrity of structure before offering options.
Milem has also been posting monthly construction update videos so the public can see the progress and having construction meetings every Tuesday with a small team from the district, Bray architects, and construction managers for an update. They walk the building, talk about things coming up or what’s coming down to the road, and offer choices so they can move forward with all the different components of the project.
In action items, the board approved the FY-24 Budget as presented, and an MOU for a 6th grade basketball coach so the position could be listed on the salary schedule in the contract. The district plans to hire Caleb Naftzger as the coach with a starting date of Oct. 10.
They approved a change order with Prime Contract and to spend $19,403.10 from ESSER III funds for window shades and installation at the Middle School. New windows were put in over the summer so these will complete the project.
Milem went into more detail on using contingency dollars, saying some things are necessary such as a new electric panel needed in the Tiny Town room or bad pipes after a recent plumbing inspection. Contractors could rip up the floor and make repairs while construction is ongoing, though it would add additional money to be taken from the contingency budget the board has established.
The board agreed to give Milem the authority to make decisions on using contingency funds. “We want the project to succeed. It’s long-term so we need to make long-term decisions,” said Norman.
Milem next provided the board with a working document for future facilities discussions, saying he wanted to get the plan in front of them and start the process. “It takes time, we have some priorities, and we can continue to move on our facilities,” he stated. He asked the board to criticize it, add or delete items, and make a wish list.
The board approved the second and final readings of PRESS policies as presented, with Milem noting they were mostly 5-year reviews and updating the board oath of conduct. They also approved maintaining executive session minutes from Dec. 2022 – July 2023 as confidential.
The personnel and employment consent agenda was approved as presented: Kerrie McDonnell, Freshman Class Sponsor, Step 4; Leah Shabani, Middle School Student Council, Step 0; Veronica Daughenbaugh, PM Thome bus route; Teresa Brown-Paxton, AM Thome bus route; Sherrie Verkruysse, mid-day Thome bus route; Amanda Schanze, mid-day Special Education van route; Montana Houzenga, Middle School Basketball Cheer, Step 0; Caleb Naftzger, Middle School 6th Grade Boys Basketball Coach, Brad Storm, Volunteer High School Basketball Coach; and Tod McCullough, Middle School Head Wrestling Coach. There were no resignations, retirements, non-renewals, or leave requests.
The next meeting of the Erie Board of Education will be Monday, October 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the High School Media Center.
