Unit 40 Board Studies Fiscal Concerns

The tentative budget for the coming Unit 40 school district fiscal year calls for $939,000 more in outgo than income.  That's after district officials cut Education Fund spending in the new budget by almost $1 million from what was spent during the current fiscal year.

Total revenue during the coming fiscal year is anticipated at more than $25.2 million, but expenditures are forecast at almost $26.2 million.

Unit 40 Superintendent Mark Doan reminded board members that the projected budget imbalance comes even after the District has cut the budget by $3 million in recent years, including $1.7 million in the past three years.  The Education Fund balance is forecast to drop from $7.4 million at the end of the current fiscal year to $6.7 million at the end of the coming fiscal year.

Doan said the Administration will return with suggestions to address the funding imbalance, with the Board having the final say on the proposals.  A final vote on the budget will come at the Board's September meeting.

Unit 40 Business Manager Rem Woodruff said the budget proposal would be available on the Unit 40 website on Friday.

Unit 40 board members also took action on several personnel matters.

Those hired are Jodi Frost to teach second grade at Central, Jessica Roadarmel to teach fifth grade at Central, Tami Higgs as a part-time nurse paraprofessional after resigning from a similar full-time position, Pam Freeman and Amanda Swan as paraprofessionals, Aaron Adams as an assistant high school football coach, Matt Murfee as a volunteer high school assistant football coach, Angela Woods as a volunteer high school girls tennis coach, Megan Whitacre as junior high head softball coach, Robin Plummer as lunch and breakfast cafteria monitor at the Early Learning Center, Beth Mines as lunch cafeteria monitor at the Early Learning Center, Kayla Cordes as a half-hour secretary at the Early Learning Center, Bonnie James as cafeteria monitor at the junior high school, and Marlene Ruholl as a three-hour cook at the high school.

Besides Tami Higgs' resignation from the full-time nurse paraprofessional position, resignations were accepted from Trenda Wooleyhan as a junior high cafeteria monitor, and from Lindsay VanBlaricum as junior high head softball coach.

Special people were recalled to positions, including Rhonda Tweedle as mid-day work program driver, Donna Niemann as speech program driver, and Denise Willenborg, Tammy Birch, Diane Claar and Sue Kinkelaar as special education route drivers.

The Board also met in closed session Thursday on contract negotiations.  There was no action in open session, but the session followed a bargaining meeting Wednesday night.  District officials said they had a good session Wednesday.