Pinckneyville High School to eliminate ag position
In anticipation of diminished state aid in the coming school year, the Pinckneyville Community High School Board of Education voted to eliminate the Agriculture instructor position held by Brian Bender for financial reasons.
The board also voted not to renew any summer athletic stipends.
At the beginning of the meeting, Cheryl Clark, President of the Pinckneyville High School Education Association, read a statement to the board asking them not to make cuts to personnel and programs.
Superintendent Keith Hagene gave an overview of the tentative budget development for the coming fiscal year at board meeting.
Hagene said the district is planning to cut about $425,000 from the budget next year. PCHS has been dipping into savings steadily since 2007. The reserves are nearly depleted.
State law says that it takes $6,119 to educate each child in Illinois. General State Aid, which is supposed to make up the difference between the local funds generated through real estate taxes and the desired $6,119 per child, has been cut to 87 percent and is expected to drop to 80 percent next year.
PCHS generates about half of the $6,119 through the tax levy, which is not growing at a pace to offset the state cuts.
"It's not good for kids, schools or communities," Hagene said.
General State Aid may drop to 65 percent in 2016, but nothing is set in stone at this point.
Last year, PCHS eliminated the art program when Mary Jane Field retired and the district will not replace math instructor Dr. Nancy Blechle, who passed away last month. Also, the board will only fill one of the two second shift custodian positions. Doug Beever passed away this month and Stanley Mathis is retiring.
One bus route was absorbed into an existing route and some of the special education programs which had been farmed out will be returning to PCHS.
"We are going into next year with 11 fewer employees than when we ended the 2010 school year," Hagene said. "In four years we have seen an accumulated savings of over $1.4 million in salaries and benefits during that time."
General State Aid is not the only funding on the chopping block. Transportation funds for rural school districts are determined by a separate formula.
Hagene said urban lawmakers don't understand a 275 square mile district with 425 students in it.
"I think the staff needs to be commended for continuing to work hard for kids during such difficult times," Superintendent Hagene said. "High stakes testing, pension raiding, professional accountability and the pressure created by a terrible financial circumstances are less than ideal conditions in which to remain enthusiastic. Ours still bring it every day."
The board also reviewed a recent finance survey. The information will be published to the district's social media site and web page after it is condensed into a useable format.
In other business, the board:
• authorized FGM to publish the plans for a roof replacement project for bid. Todd Jones from FGM Architects presented the plans for a roof replacement project over the Thomas Gym lobby and the vocational hallway and classrooms. PCHS has received a 50/50 matching grant for the project in the amount of $50,000. The district will use health/life/safety funds for the local share.
• hired Mr. Greg Zmudzinski as volunteer track coach for the 2013 - 2014 school year.
•hired Olin Lacy as Pinckneyville Community High School Maintenance Director effective May 1, 2014 contingent upon acceptance of a proposed salary and compensation package.
• passed motions to renew the non-tenure contracts with Heather Wilkin, Katie Smith, Greg Zmudzinski and Kyle Heckert for the 2014-2015 school year.
• passed a resolution authorizing the non-renewal of Robert Kirk as a 5/8 teacher and 3/8 student aide.
• approved a three-year technology plan for submission to the Illinois State Board of Education. Superintendent Hagene said the plan must be in place for E-Rate grant application purposes.