California Area eyes budget, hears residents’ concerns
For the current school year, the California Area School District raised the real estate millage by 9 mills.
The district is committed to not repeating that.
The school board took the first step during its regular monthly meeting Wednesday night, approving a resolution committing to balancing the budget while remaining under the state index of 3.5 percent. Based on the current millage of 104.5, the school board could not raise the millage above 3.657 mills.
But Superintendent Michael Sears said the school board and administration is, even in preliminary budget preparations, working to pare expenses.
“We’re going through the typical budget process,” Sears said. “I will scrutinize every expense.”
In other action, the district is completing recovery from a computer virus that fortunately was not as widespread as it could have been, said Matt Yowan, director of IT services.
The ransomware virus is so named because the hackers seek a “ransom” from the owners of effected computers systems. Yowan said the incident was reported to the FBI.
Yowan said the virus was first discovered Wednesday morning. He said it affected some staff accounts, but not PowerSchool or the district’s main files. The virus was attached through the library server.
All systems will be up and running by today, Yowan said.
n The board also heard residents’ complaints.
Brenda Messinger of West Pike Run Township said the district should have had a two-hour delay during a black ice condition recently.
Sears said that day the temperature was 42 degrees at 6 a.m. when he had to make that decision. The thermometer plunged 15 degrees within an hour, by when the buses had already hit the roads.
School board President Barry Niccolai said the day in question was “a weather aberration.”
n Mike Galis, a 2007 California Area graduate, said he and a group of men from the district were chased from the athletic facilities on Thanksgiving Day by a security officer. He said the group was preparing for a flag football game.
Galis said the security officer threatened to charge them with trespassing.
Sears said he received a telephone call that day indicating there were guys who might be playing tackle football, leaving the district with an added liability.
Athletic Director Chris Minerd said the district’s policy for public use of such facilities has “gray areas.” Niccolai suggested the policy be revisited.
Mike Mislo of California said his daughter, Julia, was being denied a chance to participate as a majorette. The 15-year-old is home schooled.
Sears said she may participate in parades, but not field shows. Mislo said the district does not compete for trophies in such shows so she should be permitted to participate in all events.
Niccolai said the board can revisit the issue.