The Pratt USD 382 Board of Education approved a $16.6 million budget Monday night, almost $2 million more than last year. Taxpayers, however, won’t be making up the difference.
Increased enrollment and a lower tax value for property in the district combined with the state’s education funding formula to make more money available to USD 382 for the 2010-2011 school year.
District taxpayers will actually see their burden decrease by 2.7 mils, Superintendent Glen Davis told the Board.
General fund expenditures will drop by about $300,000 and the supplemental general fund (local option budget) will be $73,000 smaller. Capital outlay will remain steady at 4 mils and bonded interest will decrease by a half mil.
“At a time when we’re really struggling with funding, some would ask why,” Davis said. “We don’t really have any choice. It’s based on enrollment.”
School districts’ taxing authority is tightly controlled by state law.
“The good news is it’s good for our patrons,” Davis added.
He also noted that the new budget keeps the mil levy for the new high school under 10 mils as promised to taxpayers when they voted for the bond issue to build the structure.
In other business, the Board:
uAppointed board members to district committees.
Technology: Kim Stivers
Steering Committee: Chris Pfannenstiel
Southwest Site Council: Kim Stivers, Bill Bergner
LMS Site Council: Mark Fincham
PHS Site Council: Kenton Ladenburger
Tech Prep: Clinton Skaggs
Government Relations: Jack Galle
Safety: Mark Fincham and Kenton Ladenburger
Negotiations: Chris Pfannenstiel
•Approved the Classified Staff Handbook.
•Approved a new contract with Sacred Heart School for food services at the same prices as the year before, but Sacred Heart will now be charged based on the number of meals ordered rather than the number of meals served.
•Noted that the fall general election will bear watching, especially the governor’s race. GOP nominee Sam Brownback, who is expected to win the seat, has promised to change the education funding formula.
•Heard from Assistant Superintendent Suzan Patton that a few spots are still available for the district’s preschool classes.
•Noted that a group of eight teachers from kindergarten through eighth grade have voluntarily sought additions to their teaching licenses qualifying them to teach English as a second language.
“It’s really nice to have a group of teachers take that initiative,” Patton said.
•Noted that the parking lot south of the high school will not be ready when the school year begins, but should be ready soon after.
•Approved a teaching contract for the 2010-2011 school year that provides pay increases ranging from $300 to $4,900 per year based on education ane their placement on a new pay schedule designed by the teachers.
Belt-tightening and salary freezes in prior years made the pay increases possible, Davis said.
