Board also discusses student farming, IJAG, and fulltime grounds keepers
The proposed Greene County Schools budget for 2019-20 shows a slight decrease in the levy rate from the current year. The Greene County school board heard a presentation on the budget by superintendent Tim Christensen at its March 13 work session, and then set a public hearing on the budget during the regular meeting.The total levy rate will be $15.07605 (per thousand dollars of taxable valuation), a decrease of 13 cents compared to the current year. Of the total levy, $10.05482 (per thousand) will go to the general fund; $2.6950 (per thousand) will go the debt service fund (bond issue), $1.2036 will go to physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) fund, and $1.12265 will go to the management fund.
Total expenditures are pegged at $52,259,815, an increase of $21,849,107 from the current year. Of the increase, $21.5 million is attributed to construction of the new high school.
The board will hold a public hearing on the budget at a special meeting Wednesday, April 10, at 5 pm, at the administrative building in Jefferson. The budget must be certified to the state by April 15.
The board also approved resolutions needed to issue the second series of general obligation bonds for the construction project. The second issue will be for $5,500,000; that amount along with the $15,980,000 in bonds issued in August, adds up to the total $21.48 million approved by voters last April.
In other business, the board agreed to put farmland purchased for athletic facilities at the new high school to good use until funds are available for that part of the project.
Last fall the school district purchased the entire 80-acre parcel, intending to use the north half for the high school and career academy, and to hold the south half for a future athletic facility.
The school board last week approved allowing Greene County FFA members to farm 22.9 acres on the southeast corner of the property. The students will get a break on cash rent, paying the district $100 an acre. Cash rent is averaging $230 this year.
Board member Steve Fisher first suggested letting the students farm the extra land a few months ago. He has continued to meet with area farmers and FFA members. FFA advisor and vocational agriculture teacher Katie Akers and Tanner Lawton will oversee the project. The students have solicited donated inputs and have identified whose equipment will be used.
At the meeting last week, Fisher proposed charging $150 an acre. It was board president Mark Peters who named the lower price. Peters wants the students to keep two sets of books – one showing the cost of inputs, a realistic cash rent cost, and contracted labor costs, as any farmer would incur. The second set will show the students’ actual (reduced) costs.
According to Fisher, the students could realize $700-$800 an acre in profit. What happens to the profit hasn’t been determined yet. The board discussed allowing the FFA to keep the proceeds in the club treasury up to a maximum amount, with the remainder earmarked for the future athletic facility.
The cash rent on the ground will go into the district’s general fund, possibly in a reserve fund for the future athletic facility.
The farming operation will begin this growing season.
The board approved entering into a contract with Iowa Jobs for America’s Graduates (IJAG) for the 2019-20 school year. The program seeks to teach leadership, soft employment and job-readiness skills to a targeted group of juniors and seniors. Work-based learning is a strong component of the program.
Students are identified for IJAG by building staff based on academic struggles, family and environment issues, or socio-economic barriers. Students spend one class period a day for all three trimesters with the IJAG instructor.
IJAG is a non-profit organization. The district will pay one-third of the cost of the program, $22,500. The state pays one-third and private employers and grants cover the other third.
The IJAG instructor will function like the teachers paid by the district, but his or her paycheck and employee benefits will be from IJAG.
According to Christensen, getting a fulltime teacher for only $22,500 is “a no-brainer”.
Longtime board member Sam Harding recalled the district used IJAG years ago but discontinued it due to budget constraints.
The board officially received the initial proposal from the Greene County Education Association for teacher salaries for the next three years. The association is asking for an increase in the base salary from $31,605 to $1,345 (4.9 percent) for 2019-20, and increases of 5 percent for 2020-21 and 2021-22.
High school principal Brian Phillips told the board the requirement for receiving a gold cord at graduation has increased from a grade point average of 3.0 to 3.5. The change is effective for this year’s senior class. He anticipates 22 students will receive gold cords. In recent years, three-fourths of the graduates have received the honor.
After lengthy discussion, the board decided to hire two fulltime, year-round employees to do lawn care, snow removal, fill in as bus drivers, and fill other maintenance needs as they’re able and available.
In recent years the district has contracted Raccoon Valley Lawn Care for most of the lawn care. While looking at bids for lawn care at the February meeting, board member John McConnell offered to look at the feasibility and potential cost of hiring employees for the work.
Total cost of two fulltime employees with benefits will be about $72,000. The current contract for lawn care, including painting the football field, was $65,000.
Having two more people available to drive buses will be an advantage, Christensen said. The added employees will also reduce overtime paid for snow removal should future winters be like this one.
The employees’ wages will come from the district’s general fund. The only new equipment needed is a small tractor. That cost will come from the PPEL fund.
In other business, the board voted to allow West Marshall to join the Heart of Iowa Activities Conference; approved the 28E agreement with Greene County for the construction of the career academy adjacent to the high school; and approved an overnight field trip for the Art Club to visit Kansas City in April.
