Eastland Board of Education Discusses Referendum, Financial Plan at Retreat

At their Retreat on March 4th, the Eastland Board of Education heard presentations from Superintendent Mark Hansen on the referendum and EHS facility improvement project approved in February, 3-year financial projections for the District, and a proposed plan for reducing the projected deficit in the Education Fund. The Board also held a closed session to discuss personnel and a student disciplinary case, and approved the appointment of Norm Brinkmeier as Acting District Treasurer due to the temporary incapacity of the current District Treasurer.

Referendum

The Board heard a status report on the referendum. The final vote tally was 747-yes to 457-no. Certified election results have been mailed to Chapman and Cutler for purposes of the bond sale. The sale of bonds should be completed by April 22, 2010. Bid packages for construction will be approved in May, June, and July, with earthwork starting in June, 2010. The architects are working to finalize the design. The construction managers are working with the architects to prepare bid packages.

State funding cuts

In his presentation of 3-year financials, Hansen projected Education Fund deficits of -$118,000,

-$400,000 and -$550,000 in the fiscal years ending in 2010, 2011, and 2012, if the District did nothing to reduce expenditures or control costs for instructional services. These deficits would be the result of dramatic cuts in State Funding provided to the Eastland Schools. Currently, Eastland receives approximately $600,000 a year in State Funds through General State Aid and Categorical grants. Hansen projects that the state will be $185,000 short on funding promised to Eastland for the current school year. He is anticipating a further reduction of $400,000 in next year’s allocation.

To address the projected Ed Fund deficits, Hansen recommended that the Board:

- reduce Ed Fund expenditures by $500,000 over the next two years

- use Ed Fund reserves over the next two years as it reduces expenditures responsibly and thoughtfully

- avoid any expansion of its current educational program

- solicit the assistance of school support organizations with program costs specific to their areas of support

- solicit the support of the administration, staff, and employees in holding the line on costs for supplies, equipment, and purchased services.

A plan to reduce Ed Fund expenditures by $200,000 in 2010-11, and an additional $250,000 in 2011-12 was presented and discussed. Hansen’s goals for the plan are 1) to balance the Ed Fund budget by 2011-12, 2) to put the District on a sustainable financial trajectory by 2011-12, and 3) to minimize the impact on programs. The Board will take action to approve a plan at their March 17, 2010 Regular meeting.

Improvement initiatives

Hansen also shared a list of school improvement initiatives in place or scheduled for implementation in 2010-11. Included in that list were:

- Improved Rti services for reading

- The addition of Rti services for math

- Increased instructional time for reading and math grades 3-8 from 215 min/wk to 300 min/wk

- Changing to a morning schedule for EHS students attending the Whiteside Area Career Center. This will:

- Increase by one (1) the # of courses WACC students can take at EHS

- Help reduce transportation costs

- Adding a learning lab period at the end of the day at EHS

- Implementing a new math textbook and curriculum grades K-5

- Added math to the test-prep curriculum at EHS

- Offering web-based ACT prep at no cost to EHS students in the evenings

- Expanding elementary Spanish to grades 1-4

- Fully implemented benchmarking in reading grades K-9; added benchmarking in math in 2009-10.

- Improved Special Education student gains in reading using Sopris Language program at EHS

- Implemented effective reading interventions (Read Naturally and Lexia)

- The EEA, Board of Education, and administration have jointly applied to participate in Race to the Top

The Board adjourned to closed session at 7:38 p.m. to discuss personnel and student disciplinary cases. They exited closed session at 8:10 p.m. with no further action taken.

The meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m.

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