Gilpin School considers mandatory fees

Lynn Volkens

05/01/2008 - At the April 21^st Gilpin School Board meeting, Colorado Close-Up students Abby Flowers, Lacy Franks, Kira Hicks and David Yerkman informed board members of their March activities with the Colorado legislature. Civics teacher Karl Gates, and the students, spent several days at the Capitol, participating in educational exercises about government and court proceedings along with other students from throughout the state. Gilpin’s students also met with legislators and Board President Scott Groginsky, stopped in for a visit with the students while they were there.

Public Comment

  A reporter asked about the elimination of the band teacher position, commenting that making the cut before the District Accountability Committee had made budget recommendations to the Board says DAC is unimportant.

  DAC President Terrye Lovett also expressed concern about losing the band teacher and about the lack of communication to the DAC.

Financial Report

  Business Manager Terry Scharg’s quarterly financial report was presented to the Board for review. As of March 31, the district had spent $2,697,934 of the $3,601,029 annual general fund budget. Vouchers for expenditures from March 19 to April 14^th, totaled $339,849. The school paid $16,551 for natural gas and $11,357 in electricity charges for this time period. Phone related expenses totaled $3,184. Scharg concluded there had been no unexpected or extraordinary expenses. At three quarters of the way through the budget year, the district is on target, she reported. At the end of March, the district had $204,381 on hand. That includes the required $183,500 for TABOR Reserve. The first tax payment from Gilpin County had been received mid-March, $330,742. The balance of approximately $1,249,370 is expected in June and/or July and is destined to become part of the beginning fund balance for the 2008-09 school year.

Hire Approval/Resignation

  Corey Droel was approved as a substitute for secretarial, kitchen and classroom duties. Pauletta Gain’s resignation was accepted, effective at the end of the school year. She has worked in the kitchen for 20+ years.

DAC Report

  District Accountability Committee (DAC) members entertained Scharg and Superintendent Ladouceur for a budget presentation at their last meeting. Consensus of the DAC was to have the budget presentation earlier in the year next year. Board President Groginsky dropped in for their segment on nutrition. Jodi Duncan of the Nutrition Committee, provided the presentation and hand-outs for that topic. The DAC planned to deliver their budget recommendations to the Board on May 19^th. The Superintendent said he planned to present the proposed budget to the Board on the same date. A public hearing, required by statute, is currently scheduled just prior to the Board’s first approval of the budget on June 25^th. Final approval is done in October.

  DAC will take July off, said Lovett, and plans to begin their preparations for the 2008-09 school year sometime in August.

Severance Funds Disbursed

  Early Severance Pay was distributed to teachers Kellie Bayne ($13,691), Kathy Haley ($11,935) and Patty Chisholm ($11,384). These are funds accrued under a program that has been discontinued. Participants are allowed to take the funds when they wish.

Mandatory Fees

  Board members discussed instituting mandatory fees for educational materials next year. Board members indicated they had resisted such fees in past years because “public education should be free.” However, Superintendent Ladouceur said the district could make about $15,000 by charging the fees and is still looking to resolve $112,000 of a projected $283,000 shortfall. Asked about budget cuts earlier in the meeting, Ladouceur had deflected the question by saying only that there is no final budget, as yet. Ladouceur was directed to work up the figures for the proposed fees.

Kudos

  Congratulations went to the PTA for the Book Fair, the Mad Science after-school program offered by Ms. Adrahtas, Ms.Wilhelm for CSAP make-up test completion, drama students for their dress rehearsal performance before the elementary students, Montessori parents for their spaghetti dinner fundraiser and Mr. Halsted and art students for their displays at the Arts Festival, the foreign language students for winning a 2^nd Place and three 3^rd Place awards at the Foreign Language Day competition in Greeley, drama students and teachers, Ms. Miller and Ms. Brownson, for performances of “A Pirate’s Life for Me,” Emma Berg for receiving the Metropolitan Mayors and Commissioners Youth Award, Mr. Witzel and the junior class who put together a great prom, Mr. Halsted and Gilpin Search and Rescue for their mock rescue exercise with students. Communications Coordinator Jane Yerkman, was congratulated for earning two Awards of Merit (Annual Report, Newsletter/Newspaper) in the 2008 Colorado School Public Relations Association’s Communications Excellence Program.  

Future Meeting Agenda

  At the May 5^th meeting, the Board has a tentative agenda that includes the educational materials fees, the elementary school calendar, offering advertising on school buses and sports fields, community engagement meetings, strategic planning, and the Meet and Confer policy.