Teutopolis School Board Meets

Teutopolis school board members Monday resumed their discussion of potential budget reduction measures.  The Board had heard from district residents recently on the options being considered so this was the first opportunity as a Board to discuss those comments and questions. 

The Board was presented petitions with signatures from those opposing higher class sizes at the grade school, an issue that drew much attention at the earlier meeting.  

Teutopolis Superintendent Bill Fritcher Tuesday said it's going to be difficult to achieve the cost savings sought without some increase in class sizes, principally through not replacing all of those teachers who retire or otherwise depart the district.  Fritcher said that's already happening at the junior high and high school buildings. 

Board members also received the Administration's enrollment projections based in part on the parish's baptismal count.  The number of baptisms is a tool used by the Teutopolis district to estimate future enrollment.  Fritcher said the numbers indicate 60 or so incoming Kindergarten students as opposed to 80 to 85 high school seniors graduating.

Fritcher plans a special Board meeting in the next couple of weeks to discuss personnel needs in closed session.  Any votes by the Board would come in a subsequent meeting in open session.

Board members reviewed the fiscal year budget at the halfway point.  Fritcher said they're going to try to not fill vacancies created by resignations and will not purchase a school bus as had been scheduled in an attempt to lessen the impact on the budget.

The Board discussed a tentative calendar for next school year, approved Lori Lohman's resignation as payroll clerk and secretary, hired Lora Repking as a regular route bus driver, and discussed the Board's self-evaluation as well as grant requests for the Teutopolis Education Foundation.