Greene County Community Schools board members are concerned enough about state funding for the next school year that they declined to approve a transfer from the general fund to the activity fund.
Activities director Dave Wright asked the board to approve a resolution to $10,000 transfer from the general fund to cover safety equipment, as is allowed by state code. The larger portion of the funds would go to reconditioning or replacing football helmets, Wright said. Other safety equipment includes catchers’ protective gear. The cost is usually paid out of the activity fund, with the general fund reimbursing the activity fund.
Cindi Daubendiek, now in her second year as board president, objected to the transfer.
She said that with enrollment decreasing, and the recent addition of girls’ wrestling at a cost of $20,000, she doesn’t think it would be “financially responsible” to take another $10,000 out of the general fund. “I think we need to take a time-out and reassess before that were to happen… I worry about our student enrollment. It’s down… that’s not news. Our general fund I really protect for our teachers because that’s our number one goal. Yes, I want activities and yes, I want them to be safe, but I do think we ought to consider finding money somewhere else besides the general fund.”
This is the first time Wright has asked for the fund transfer this way. In previous years he has paid safety costs from the activity fund and then asked for reimbursement from the general fund. He said 65-70 percent of schools use general funds to pay for safety equipment.
The balance in the activity fund is $292,000, but that includes music, speech, FFA, FBLA, and several other activities in addition to athletics. Football is a sub account in the activity fund.
Board member Tim Riphagen made a motion for the transfer, with a second by Megan Holz. The motion failed, with Katie Nelson and Megan Holz voting yes and Connie Boyd, Riphagen and Daubendiek voting no.
The board also did not approve a request for a fundraiser proposed by the track and field team. The team proposed using the Raise365 app by Adrenalin Fundraising to solicit donations. The goal was to raise $8,000 to purchase new throwing equipment and batons. The board nixed the fundraiser because the company would have retained 20 percent of the gross. The board approved two other requested fundraisers.
The meeting was not all bad news for athletics.
The board approved a proposal from OPN Architects for concept design and construction administration services for a new ticketing and restroom building at Linduska Field. OPN’s fee is $69,300.
The building will be northwest of the current stadium seating. Estimated cost of construction is $500,000 to $700,000, which will come from the district’s physical plant and equipment levy (PPEL) fund.
The schedule calls for bidding the project in June, with construction beginning in July and taking 24 weeks. The new building will not be completed for the 2026 football season.
The board set the March 13 meeting as the time for a public hearing on the calendar for the 20926-27 school year. Superintendent Brett Abbotts said the calendar is very similar to this year’s calendar.
The board approved the purchase of a short throw projector for the high school auditorium at a cost of $25,282. The projector will allow the use of digital backdrops for stage productions, saving the cost of renting backdrops, as has been done for recent high school musicals, and possibly giving students an opportunity to work in that type of digital design.
It could also be used for middle school and elementary programs on the high school stage.
The Booster Club is funding $5,000 of the purchase and technology director Brett Gerzema is applying for a grant from the Greene County Community Foundation. The school’s portion will come from the PPEL fund. “It’s a cool opportunity to enhance what we’re offering our kids, our staff, and the community,” Abbotts said.
