Laurel board ponders possible expense reductions
Laurel Highlands School District directors are asking themselves how they may cut expenses in a $38.1 million tentative spending plan for the coming fiscal year in the midst of lingering financial troubles remaining this year. Director Tom Vernon, who heads the school board’s finance committee, told the board members at the conclusion of a special meeting Tuesday to give their budget ideas to the administrators and set a finance committee meeting for next Monday. Director Judy Browell echoed the request for suggestions.
The budget came up as a topic at a finance committee meeting and work session prior to the special meeting when Vernon called an executive session to discuss staff realignment. Sheba said the topic would involve cuts that need to be made in the budget with recommendations regarding specific people.
The closed session was about 30 minutes and the board took no action on staff changes, although during the special meeting they accepted five retirements.
The district is struggling with money, having recently received permission from the Fayette County Court of Common Pleas to float a $2.97 million bond issue to cover obligations still left in this fiscal year that ends June 30.
The board found out in April through an audit of the 2000-2001 finances that they had overshot the fund balance by about $790,000 and have since discovered other expenses as well as losses of income they have referred to as unforeseen. Superintendent Dr. Ronald Sheba had testified that the former business manager, Ronald Aikins who retired in May, had advised school officials they had a positive fund balance.
Meanwhile, the school board in voting to have the annual audit performed on the district’s 2001-2002 finances made no changes from their current auditing firm of McClure & Wolf Certified Public Accountants and Consultants. However, they specified in the vote that the audit must be done by Nov. 15.
Vernon requested a date before the annual December reorganization “so we have time to see where we are at.”
Retirements approved Tuesday were Sally Malenock, high school learning support, after 12 years; Alice Nan Chess, junior high learning support, after 35.5 years; John Mazurek, junior high social studies, after 32 years; Henry Buseck, Hatfield Elementary School sixth grade, after 35 years; and Joseph Veno, Hatfield fourth grade, after 37 years.
Regarding purchases, the school board awarded a $162,495 contract to Architectural Window Concepts for new windows at Marshall Elementary School.
John Over of project manager Sleighter Engineering said the windows are aluminum and have a 10-year warranty as opposed to the one-year warranty for the current wooden windows. He said the price includes internal blinds, removal of the old windows and installation of the new windows.
The purchase was included in a prior construction project bond.
The vote was 6-2 with Vernon and Browell voting no. Director Julia Ciarrocchi was absent.
They had some discussion over new French and Spanish secondary level textbooks when administrators had no pricetag for the board’s review. Sheba said they needed the board’s approval to buy the books to have them in time for the new school year and the board approved the purchase.
According to the discussion, the budget usually includes about $350,000 a year for textbooks, there has been nothing yet specified for use of that money in the upcoming fiscal year and that category will probably be cut back.
They also approved the purchase of departmental supplies for 2002-2003 at a cost of $176,242.90. Sheba said that item had been cut by $31,988.
As far as income was concerned, they voted in favor of raising the price of cafeteria lunches.
This was a raise across the board of 10 cents that cafeteria director Gene Doria said would raise about $23,000. The lunch prices would be $1.50, elementary; $1.75, secondary; and $2.60, adult.
Directors Angelo Giachetti and Shirley Kefover voted no.
They tabled a raise in the student parking passes that is currently $15 per semester or $30 a year. The recommendation is for $1 a day.
Also, they voted to abolish corporal punishment as a disciplinary measure in the school district.
Further, the named Jeremy Brain, Scott DeBerry, Gerald Pegg, Bill Hyatt and Chris Edenfield as assistant varsity football coaches.
They named Pat Lion as head ninth grade football coach and Mike Smith Jr. as assistant, Andrew Abraham as head seventh and eighth grade football coach and James Roddy and William Hughes as assistants, Jerry Rogers as assistant varsity boys soccer coach, Nicole Lavery as assistant varsity girls soccer coach, Kristi Rooker as assistant varsity volleyball coach, Robert Genovese as assistant varsity girls basketball coach and Wendy Craft as ninth grade head girls basketball coach.