Chamois R-1 school board members last Wednesday approved a deficit budget for the 2021-22 fiscal year. The new budget comes up $48,306 short, with estimated revenues for the new fiscal year of $2,505,142 and expenditures of $2,553,448. However, the budget does not include any revenues or expenditures that may be associated with additional federal funding through the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund (ESSER).
Superintendent Lyle Best noted that the budget will have to be amended once the new tax rate is set in September. He is anticipating additional revenue to be projected at that time.
Revenues from the state will remain consistent, with the district expecting $1,177,388 in funding. Last fiscal year’s funding from the state was $1,239,600. Local revenues are expected at $1,012,992 and include the collection of property taxes and Proposition C Sales Tax. Last year, local taxes generated revenues of $1,015,867. The new budget reflects a small change in federal funding, with the new budget expecting $207,662, compared to last year’s federal contribution of $341,904. County revenue is estimated at $107,100 including railroad and utility tax and fines, the same as last fiscal year.
Most of the budget expenditures are to be allocated for salaries. Currently, the budget includes $1,784,086 for salaries of certified and non-certified staff, a slight increase from the $1,750,367 allocated last year.
The school board voted earlier this year to increase raises and benefits for all school staff and that is reflected here. Plant operation expenditures, which include utilities, supplies, and building repairs, are budgeted at $336,657 with $20,000 for general repair and maintenance and $60,000 for building improvements. Best is anticipating increased food and milk costs and that is reflected in the expenditures projected for food service in the amount of $142,047. Transportation costs are budgeted at $108,600 contracted with LJZ Services and $29,691 budgeted for transportation owned by the school district.
The district fund balance is expected to be at 47% for the end of the fiscal year. Projected enrollment for the 2021-22 school year for grades kindergarten through grade 12 is 129 students.
Best believes that this budget “provides the faculty, staff, and students the resources needed to increase the district’s academic performance,” and hopes to continue advocating for improving the school facilities.
In other business, the board amended the 2020-21 budget to actual as of June 30, 2021. Total revenues for the school district were amended to $2,857,296 and expenditures were amended to $2,972,009.
“For the year we’d have expenditures over revenues by about $1,000,” Best said. “That’s pretty good because we’ve had several hundreds of thousands in repair expenditures this year. So being pretty close to even is good, considering.”
* The school district is required to have an updated Safe Return to In-Person Instruction and Continuity of Services Plan (SRCSP) in place to be eligible for the third round of ESSER funds. The document will be available online and outlines procedures for positive COVID-19 cases and how they will be handled by the school district. The plan will have to be revisited and updated periodically as outlined by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE).
“We can’t just say we don’t have to worry about COVID-19 next year,” Best said. “We still have to have a plan on what we are going to do in different situations.”
Best noted the SRCSP is similar to the plan the school district had in place last year before the start of school.
“Our plan will be to start school in person the same as we did last year,” Best explained. “I think, for us, we anticipate having very few of the measures in place at the start of the school year.”
Best noted that masks will be encouraged, although not required for all students who are not vaccinated. The school plans to stress hand washing and increased sanitation measures.
“If we start seeing a spread (of COVID-19) then we will have to pull back to more restrictive measures,” Best said. “I think that for us this is kinda the approach, to start with what people want to call ‘normal’ but if things start occurring then we have a plan of how to address it.”
“I thought you guys did a great job last year,” Board President Steve Cramer said. “I don’t see why we wouldn’t continue with a plan and have it there in case we need it.”
Best stressed that the goal is to keep kids in school. If there is an outbreak of COVID-19 in the community or within the school, he is not opposed to putting in place measures that require masks and social distancing if it will keep kids in school.
Best said that several parents have asked about how quarantines will work in the new school year.
“As far as I am aware, nothing has changed in terms of what is supposed to happen unless you are vaccinated,” Best said. “But if a person is not vaccinated and becomes sick with COVID-19 I’m still told they are supposed to quarantine the same as they would have six months ago. It’s my understanding that close contacts, again if you are not vaccinated, you are still supposed to quarantine. I haven’t gotten anything that says that will be changed.”
Best plans to meet with the Osage County Health Department in July to see what guidelines have changed and how they will affect the upcoming school year.
Best reminded the school board members that the second round of ESSER funds will be available until September of 2023. Thus far, the district has not tapped into any of those funds. The third round of ESSER funds will not be available until September of 2024. Best warned that there are additional stipulations on the funds from ESSER #3.
“Twenty percent of that allocation has to go to something that addresses learning loss,” Best explained. “For us, that’s $80,000. That can be a number of different things, obviously, but you can’t just do the same thing with it as that second round where you kinda just put it all into the salary and then do whatever you want with it.”
Best will update the school board as the guidelines for the funds become clearer.
* Chamois R-1 anticipates a total reimbursement of funds from meal claims to total $113,00 from the Department of Health and Senior Services (DHSS).
“We come out a little bit better with the free meals,” Best said.
The reimbursement rate under DHSS is slightly higher than the normal reimbursement rate through DESE. Breakfast reimbursement is $2.37 through DHSS, while DESE provides $2.26. Lunch reimbursement is $4.15 through DHSS, and it is only $3.58 through DESE.
The school district will not be able to use DHSS’s summer food program for the upcoming school year.
“We haven’t made any decisions yet on next year yet,” Best said. “We do have the ability to do the single summer option through DESE which would still provide free meals. I think that will be good for us.”
DESE is planning to increase reimbursement rates for the upcoming year to more align with the reimbursements that the school has been receiving through DHSS.
* The board approved the Professional Development Plan for the upcoming school year. The budget for the program is set at $10,973. The committee members for the new year include Chairperson Samantha Mitchem, Secretary/Treasurer Kate Kuschel, and members Misty Hilkerbaumer, Katie Troesser, and Andrew Riddell.
* Board members approved the following agreements for the upcoming year.
— Prairie Farm will provide milk for the lunch program. Milk prices went up slightly with chocolate and strawberry milk costing $.33 per carton and white milk costing $.30 per carton. Last year's milk prices were $.32 per carton for strawberry and chocolate and $.29 for white milk per carton.
— Three Rivers Propane will provide propane for the school district at $1.39 per gallon at a locked-in rate. Last year's price was $.91 per gallon.
— Havener’s Termite and Insect Control will contract with the school to spray for pests for $38 per month. The rate last year was $37 per month.
— Kibbler Masonry will charge the school $2,128 for tuck-pointing at the school.
— Charles Luebbert Hardwood will charge $2,250 to refinish the gym floor. The work is scheduled for the second week of July.
— The Special Learning Center will contract with the school for Occupational Therapy for the rate of $68 per hour and $.50 per mile. This is the same rate as was agreed upon last year.
* Best has contacted three different solar companies to discuss reinstalling the solar panels on the elementary school roof. Bart’s Electric, Sun Solar, and Missouri Solar Applications have all expressed an interest in reinstalling the panels. Best is hoping to have bids by next month’s meeting.
“Everyone has their own idea of what needs to be done and how to do it,” Best said.
Best also talked to Ameren UE and there are no additional permits or applications that need to be filled out to have the solar panels reconnected.
* The board approved Katie Sieg as a part-time student employee for the summer for $10 per hour.
* The school just finished up two weeks of summer school with 30 elementary students in attendance per day.
* The board approved the payment of outstanding bills in the amount of $27,608.15. Best noted that there was an overpayment of $4,576 that will have to be repaid to the insurance company due to an overpayment on claims from the hailstorm last year.
* Chamois R-1 has the following ending balances in their accounts: general ($1,597,397), special ($95,092), and capital projects ($11,468).
* Board members approved a transfer of funds of $172,948 from Fund #2 to Fund #4 for future capital projects.