Verndale School Board

Verndale bracing for state aid reductions
School cutbacks approved, AYP status improving

by Matthew Johnson

Verndale Superintendent/Principal Paul Brownlow had some somber news for the Verndale School Board on Monday, July 26, regarding state aid for the 2010-2011 and 2011-2012 school years.
Due to the state's cash flow problems, it will again be delaying aid payments to districts including Verndale, but for the 2010-2011 school year, about $300,000 more in aid will be delayed to this district than during the 2009-2010 school year, Brownlow said.
"These are huge dollars they (the state) are going to withhold so the state can make cash flow," he said.
Dollars delayed to the district include $80,000 September 15; $75,000 September 30; $166,280 toward the end of the current 2010 calendar year; and then a whopping $719,480 January 15, 2011.
Brownlow said the district is expecting to see revenues come back to the district May 30, 2011, and it's possible the district may have to do some short-term borrowing in the future.
He said the district is having to tighten its belt "just to make sure we're going to be okay. I think it'll be nip and tuck."
Brownlow said teacher and custodial budgets are being streamlined in efforts to weed out any unnecessary costs, and the district is saving about $3,000 by reducing kitchen personnel work hours.
It's possible, says Brownlow, that at some point, maybe for the 2011-2012 school year, the governor may call for about a 3-5 percent reduction in state aid to districts, and possibly even freeze the salaries of all public employees including teachers.
"That kind of bites," said Verndale School Board Chair Marcus Edin.
On a brighter note, the school's food service fund was at a positive $6,818 at the end of June, which is considerably better than the same time a year ago when it was significantly in the red, Brownlow reported.
"That's a tremendous improvement," Edin remarked.
The general, community service and debt service funds were "notably lower" at the end of June compared to the same time a year ago, said Brownlow. He said the general fund's decrease can be partly attributed to the state aid payment shift. The district has also begun to spend more dollars in the community service fund for increasing preschool costs, coding of tutoring and efforts to avoid any future fund balance penalties.
It was also noted that the district has suffered a financial shortfall in the after-school program due to a lack of participation. Expenses were $2,659 for the 2009-2010 school year, with revenues of $643.
The district is increasing milk prices by 10 cents a milk for each additional milk students and adults purchase for lunch and milk breaks, and raising the activity admission rates as well.
For the milk, the increase means the student cost for each additional milk is going from 15 cents to 25 cents, and from 25 cents to 35 cents for adults. The adult season passes are being increased from $25 to $35, and the family pass from $50 to $75.
AYP status improving, MCA testing results presented
K-8 Principal/Assessment Coordinator Justin Sperling announced "promising news" to the board regarding the district's Adequately Yearly Progress (AYP).
The high school has now made AYP in reading, so the district does not have to write an AYP plan for that at this time. The high school has also just completed one year of AYP in math and needs to make AYP again this school year so no AYP plan has to be written for the 2011-2012 school year.
The same is true for elementary reading and math, as well as for special education--AYP has just been achieved and needs to be achieved for one more year so no AYP plans will need to be written for the 2011-2012 school year.
Superintendent/Principal Brownlow praised Sperling and staff and students "for their hard work" in helping achieve AYP this past year.
Sperling also presented MCA test results to the board. One of the results show that the district is at 74 percent reading proficiency, which is a couple percentages above the state average and more proficient over other area districts including Bertha-Hewitt (61 percent), Sebeka (62 percent), Wadena-Deer Creek (69 percent) and Staples-Motley (67 percent).
Handbook changes approved
The board has approved some changes to the dress code, cell phone, tardy and truancy policies.
For example, when a student receives seven tardies during the course of a semester, he or she will now receive one unexcused absence on their attendance record. To comply with the dress code, shorts, skirts and dresses must now be no more than four inches above the knees.
The cell phone policy basically allows cell phones in school as long as they are not used in the classroom unless a teacher is using them as part of the curriculum. Otherwise, a teacher can confiscate a phone if it is a disruption in the classroom. The board approved a motion to add a policy for future review regarding possibly not allowing any picture taking in school unless specifically authorized as part of a classroom curriculum.
Building preparation in progress
School building preparation for the upcoming school year includes spending $6,993 for refinishing the floors in the big and little gyms, as well as replacing the shower fixtures in the boys and girls locker rooms; $1,182 for relocating the radiator in the school cafeteria; $130 for a motion sensor in the bus garage; and $450 for adding circuits to the generator for the computer servers.
In other business:
�Ģ Approved the 2010-2011 athletic director salary for Mike Mahlen at $16,454, which is a 1.05 percent total increase over the previous year's salary.
�ĢAccepted Secretary/Bookkeeper Lois A. Gould's letter of resignation and retirement with her last day of work February 28, 2011. Superintendent/Principal Brownlow and Board Chair Marcus Edin praised Gould for her more than 30 years of service.
�Ģ Approved hirings including Kari McNeil as long-term elementary substitute teacher in the 4th-6th language arts classroom for the 2010-2011 school year; Becky Ludovissie for the school readiness position; Maria Uselman for a teaching assistant position; Jordan Hinkle for the "B" football coaching position; and Jed Carlson for the assistant boys' ("B" team) coaching position.
�Ģ Declined approval of a beverage vending contract with Pepsi, and approved a motion to open the pop vending for bids and receive clarification on Pepsi's bid, since language in that bid states a two-year contract, but only specifies locked-in prices for the first year (2010-2011).
�Ģ Authorized Brownlow to come up with a proposal for revised district lines to determine the total area where the district will provide transportation.
�Ģ Approved extra-curricular activity assignments.
�Ģ Tabled the hiring of a part-time parent educator and of a teaching assistant.
Regular meetings of the Verndale School Board are usually scheduled at 6:30 p.m. on the fourth Monday of the month in the school's Media Center.