CHAMOIS — Chamois R-1 board members adopted a new budget for the 2023-24 fiscal year at their meeting on June 14 that projects revenues of $3,047,554 and total expenditures at $3,021,191 for a surplus of $26,363.

Revenues and expenditures are projected to be up slightly from the 2022-23 budget. Overall, the school is expecting $46,051 less from federal revenue sources and increases in state ($46,658) and local revenues ($18,540).

“For the most part, revenue is consistent,” Superintendent Lyle Best explained, noting that local revenues went up because of a change in tax valuations and an increase in interest earned. Best expects the school district will make one more draw on the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) funds.

Expenditures are up $126,146, and Best attributes part of that increase to the approval of Career Ladder funding for teachers approved by the board in April.

The budget reflects the school district’s participation in the $38,000 minimum salary program, a $500 step approved for certified staff with master’s degrees, a 5% pay increase to non-certified staff members, a 2.5% increase in pay for administrators, health benefits of $500 per month, and a life insurance benefit of $11 per month.

Best also explained student activities and athletic costs have increased over the last year. The estimated fund balance is set at 59%, with the school district’s goal set at 28%. The estimated fund balances total $2,022,402 and include Fund 1 ($1,528,379), Fund 2 ($0), Fund 3 ($494,023), and Fund 4 ($0).

The school board also amended the 2022-23 fiscal year budget to reflect actual amounts as of June 30, 2023. The budget was amended to reflect $3,028,407 for revenue and $2,895,045 for expenditures. The school board also approved a transfer of $170,389 from Fund 1 to Fund 4 for future capital projects, including HVAC improvements, asbestos abatement, parking lot resurfacing, playground structures, campus ADA compliance, technology network, and communication system improvements.

In other business, Best told the board about the change to the Show-Me Conference.

“Linn, Russellville, New Bloomfield, South Callaway, and Eugene will be leaving the Show Me Conference at the end of the next school year,” he explained. “The other remaining schools, St. Elizabeth, Tuscumbia, and us, have talked about trying to stay together in whatever comes next and keep the relationships that our schools have intact.”

Best explained that his understanding was that much of the reasoning for the change was related to sports, particularly football.

“I don’t think there has been enough attention given to the relationships that the schools have with each other, the people, and the communities,” Best said. “There is a lot that goes into that association beyond athletics. I don’t think it was necessary for that to all come to an end based on athletics.”

Best said that some of the reasoning had to do with schools wanting to be with other schools of the same size.

“I don’t know how we are unlike the other schools,” Best said. “We are all trying to achieve the same things with our students, and how we are trying to prepare them for what is ultimately being a good person. I don’t think they really value the association with the smaller schools, which I think is incorrect, and I do think we stack up well with everyone else.”

Best said that he understands that the other districts have made their decisions based on what they believe is best for them.

“I kinda feel we’re being told we’re not good enough to be with these other communities anymore, and I don’t agree with that; and I certainly don’t believe our staff and community need to be told that,” Best said.

He believes the schools’ relationships could have remained intact while they pursued their own interests.

“It’s unfortunate, but we’ll work on the next steps for us,” Best said.

• School board members approved service agreements for the 2023-24 school year. Prairie Farms will provide milk with prices as follows per carton: 1% white milk ($.3197), skim white milk ($.3056), 1% chocolate milk ($.3557), and 1% strawberry milk ($.3557).

• Lock’s Mill will provide propane for $1.79 per gallon.

• Havener’s Termite and Insect Control will spray insects for $58 monthly. That is up by $5 per month over last year’s rate with the same company.

• The Ability Network will be providing speech therapy. A Speech-Language Pathologist (SLP) will cost the school district $115 per hour, which is the same rate as last year, and a Speech-Language Pathologist Assistance (SLPA) will cost the school district $65 per hour. The rate for SLPA has increased by $5 per hour.

Counseling and behavioral therapy will also be contracted through the Ability Network at a rate of $80 per hour. Best explained that sessions would be a hybrid model, with some counseling sessions in person and others conducted virtually.

• The school board approved four mandatory policy updates.

— Regulation No. 0320 will shorten the time a candidate may file for a position on the board.

— Policy No. 4130 changes the requirements from four hours per day to 17 hours per week for part-time staff to be eligible for benefits.

— Policy No. 4412 is a new policy that seeks to clean up the language that mandates that staff must participate in active shooter training led by law enforcement but that in-house training is encouraged but not mandatory.

— Regulation No. 6190 removes the due process requirement and restrictive language that defines “for a good cause” for students who seek part-time virtual education.

• Board members received a quarterly update on the progress of the school district’s Comprehensive School Improvement Plan (CSIP).

“We have done a lot of work this year,” Best explained.

He added that the teachers and staff had collected a lot of data over the 2022-23 school year but noted that the school district fell short in its assessments of English and Math.

“Part of that was because we didn’t have personnel in those positions,” Best said. “In some of the new math resources we’re using next year, we can have some of the assessment data available. We have to see how well that is going and how well we like the program, but we’ve gotten a lot done on effective teaching.”

Best believes that progress has been made for Goal 2, which focuses on raising student scores on Measure of Academic Progress (MAP) and End of Course (EOC) testing.

“We are heavy hitting on that,” Best explained.

He pointed to the hard work teachers have been doing with the coaching staff and “Fundations and Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling” (LETRS) training.

Best did not believe that they utilized the ACT training program as well as they could have this last year for juniors and seniors. He also believes the school district could utilize student committees more effectively. Best said the school district is always trying to increase parental involvement in the school, an area Chamois struggles with.

Best is happy with the financial goals that the school district has set for itself. He said there needs to be more improvement in training teachers to mentor new teachers.

He believes the grow your own program could be successful for the school district, noting that everyone in education is there because of their connection with a certain teacher.

Overall, Best is happy with the progress, but there is always room for improvement.

• The school district may need to consider raising its preschool rates. Best explained that the rates have remained the same since the preschool opened. When the preschool first opened, the school was using grant money to operate the program, which is no longer available.

Currently, the school district charges $75 per week for preschool, and families can apply for assistance if they meet financial requirements.

“Basically, if someone is eligible for that, we’ll get $24 per day, and what we charge is less than that,” Best explained. “We may need to make some changes.”

He said that the school district can still participate in the cost-sharing program, but additional reporting would need to be done.

“We may need to adjust our rate per day since we haven’t adjusted it in six or seven years,” Best explained, noting that the board should consider how the four-day school week would affect costs for the preschool.

Best suggested board members consider a $5 increase in the rates. The school board will look at preschool rates at their next meeting.

• The school board approved monthly bills totaling $46,045.05.

• Chamois R-1 had the following account balances: general ($1,929,531), special ($127,499), and capital projects ($416,200).

SUPERINTENDENT’S REPORT

Best reported that the new bulbs have been put in the gym.

“That went great, and you can definitely tell the difference,” Best said.

• Best noted that Fred Schollmeyer is repainting the existing pirates on the walls of the gym. The design will remain the same on the large murals, but the colors will be updated. The gym walls were also touched up at the same time.

• The gym floors are scheduled to be sanded and refinished in mid-July.

• The pressure washing of the school buildings has been completed, and Best said that he had noticed a big difference.

“It’s noticeably cleaner, especially the stone part,” Best said. “The siding and brick look much better too. It turned out well.”

• The ADA ramp is still slated to be completed, though Best does not have a schedule for the construction project yet.

• Safety laminate has been added to the glass on doors and windows, and that project should be completed soon. The laminate is being applied to the glass entrances, interior doors of the classrooms, the bottom sections of the cafeteria windows, and the section facing the elementary playground.

• Best, PE teacher John Leech, first-grade teacher Misty Hilkerbaumer, librarian Samantha Mitchem, and art teacher Joyce Wright attended the District Continuous Improvement Summit in Springfield.

“This is probably the biggest professional development training that we’ve been a part of,” Best said. “We made some good connections and enjoyed talking to people from all over the state. We had a good time.”

Leech and Wright led their own sessions.

“It’s a really good experience for our staff,” Best said. “There are 100 different school districts involved. It was great for them to be able to listen to other people and get involved and learn about different practices and how they do things in their districts. It is an opportunity for them to connect with others and get good ideas.”

• Chamois hosted a workshop for teachers, and there was a very good turnout. Teachers were coached on content and learning targets.

“People came and went as it fit their schedule,” Best said. “They did good work and made a lot of progress, and this fits very much with everything we are doing.”