Jeff-Morgan approves revised budget
JEFFERSON – With an extra $104,000 from the state, the Jefferson-Morgan School Board adopted a revised 2002-2003 budget Monday that returns some items that had been trimmed when the plan was first approved. Business manager Michael Conte discussed the board’s options and referred the matter to committee last month to explore how the extra funds would be allocated. After the committee had met, Conte said the money will be earmarked for transportation, worker’s compensation and athletic insurance costs and for the purchase of textbooks that had previously been eliminated.
According to the state, the districts were forced to spend the money on lowering the millage rate, restoring programs that had been cut or payment of debt service. Conte said he spoke with officials at the state Department of Education, who told him they would not offer any advice until the revised spending plan was submitted.
Conte said the new budget must be sent to the Department of Education within 15 days of the board’s approval.
“We had some reductions and we are restoring funds to those areas,” he said. “It’s a gray area right now and I hope the Department approves it. If not, we will have to come back next month and revisit it.”
Directors in June approved a 2002-2003 budget totaling $9.9 million that kept the tax rate at 89.6 mills.
Meanwhile, administrators reported that both schools will open to students on Monday, after concern last month that the elementary school, which is undergoing a $5.4 million renovation, would not be completed in time for the start of classes.
Alan “Rip” Jenkins, clerk of the works for the project, said that the state Department of Labor and Industry has given its approval to the facility and that the contractors on site should be gone by the end of the week. Though most of the work is done, Jenkins said some minor work will go on during the first few weeks of the school year, though the tasks will be completed after classes are done for the day.
Jenkins and maintenance supervisor Allen Grimm said the elementary school will be ready, though the library and music room will not be open to students at the start of the year. Carpeting and other shelves have yet to be installed, which will delay the rooms’ opening, but the school offices will be ready for the first day of school Monday.
Conte also said the project is $600,000 under budget, though final bills have not yet been submitted for payment.
Directors also approved an energy program with TAC Energy Controls that had been voted down last month, but was reconfigured in an attempt to meet with board approval. According to Chris Fisher of TAC, the district is spending approximately $154,000 annually on utility costs and his company proposes to save the district $54,780 from that total.
The plan the board approved Monday calls for upgrading the utility management at both schools, retrofitting all light fixtures, retrofitting the boilers and adding air conditioning systems to the junior-senior high school library and adult education classrooms. That option, along with the purchase of new hydraulics for the boilers, totals approximately $385,000.
According to the plan, the district would use the money saved by the program to pay for the costs of the project over a 10-year lease period. Conte said the district would pay approximately $49,000 annually plus 4.79 percent interest, lower than the 5.94 percent rate Fisher had quoted last month.
The board approved both a municipal lease/purchase for an energy proficiency contract with TAC and an energy services contract, both pending approval of district solicitor Ernest DeHaas. Director Mark Pochron voted no on both contracts, while Directors Cory Grandel and Donna Shaffer were absent Monday.