An $8,152,334 proposed budget was presented at the Annual Manawa School District Meeting on Monday, Oct. 24. A proposed tax levy of $10.75 per $1,000 valuation was also introduced.
After the adjournment of the Annual Meeting, the School Board reopened its monthly meeting which started earlier in the evening, but was suspended so the Annual Meeting could take place. After the monthly meeting was reopened, by unanimous vote the school board passed the final 2011-12 budget and certified the tax levy at $10.75. The tax levy is a drop of $.05 from last year’s levy of $10.80.
When looking closer at the 2011-12 Budget, the total budget of $8,152,334 is a decrease of $598,061 or 6.83 percent from last year’s final budget of $8,750,395.
The General Fund and Special Education Fund are spent as follows: 74 percent on salary and benefits, 18 percent on supportive costs (utilities, maintenance, custodial, transportation, administrative supplies and leases), and 8 percent on instructional cost (does not include salaries).
The money to fund the various programs comes from the following sources: 59 percent from the State of Wisconsin, 33 percent from the School District of Manawa taxpayers, 4 percent from the Federal Government and 4 percent from student fees, athletic admissions, interest income and other miscellaneous receipts.
Of note, salaries and benefits have decreased by $446,917. Also, aid from the State of Wisconsin dropped by $525,000
The district currently has three years of payments for building debt. A payment of $934,400 has to be made in 2011-2012, then a payment of $939,700 in 2012-2013 and then a final payment of around $943,500 in 2013-2014.
Brian Adesso, Director of Finance, stated that paying off the Non-Referendum Debt Service Fund, saved the district $239,000 in interest last year.
Eight resolutions were approved at the annual meeting. They are as follows:
a. There shall be levied upon the taxable property of the School District of Manawa, the sum of $2,619,177 for the purpose of defraying the operation and maintenance of the public schools for the school year 2011-12, $934,300 for Referendum Debt Retirement and $40,000 for Community Service with a combined total of $3,593,477.
b. School board member salaries to stay the same as last year. The salaries are as follows: president, vice-president and clerk receive $1,500 per year per office; directors receive $1,200 and the treasurer receives no salary. It was also authorized that the Board members shall be paid $50 per day when traveling outside the district to attend meetings, workshops, etc., in performance of their duties. No payment shall be made unless authorized by the Annual or special common school district meeting.
c. Authorized that the School Board of the School District of Manawa is authorized to furnish free textbooks for use in the school system and to establish a penalty for unusual or unreasonable wear according to rules that may be established by said Board.
d. Authorized that the Board of Education for the School District of Manawa is directed to furnish hot lunches and milk to any and all students of said District at places and times and at a cost to be set by said School Board. The School Board is also authorized to pay any deficiency which may result from this lunch program.
e. Authorized that electors of the School District of Manawa sell any property belonging to and not needed by the District for school purposes.
f. Authorized that the Board of Education of the School District of Manawa is directed to provide for the prosecution or defense of any action or proceeding in which the District is interested for the remainder of the 2011-12 school year.
g. Authorize the Board of Education of the School District of Manawa may provide for accident insurance covering pupils in the District and that the cost and expenditures for the insurance is authorized.
h. Authorize the date for the 2012 Annual Meeting to be on Monday, Oct. 29, 2012 at 7 p.m.
In business discussed during the October monthly school board meeting, the board approved the resignations of Jacklyn Hanson as Softball coach, Mitch Patri as Wrestling coach and Brenda Bushaw as Head Cook.
The purchase of two 2013 school buses, each at a cost of $78,000 and $74.80 for title and registration, was approved. Ed Dombroski, district administrator, said the two new buses will replace bus No. 12 and No. 16. Those two buses will then replace the two oldest buses in the fleet, No. 45 and No. 47, which they will look to trade those in. Dombroski said those two are worth about $1,000.
The purchase of a 2005 Silverado 2500HD from Little Wolf Auto was also approved. The purchase price is $9,500. It will replace the current 1989 truck, which Dombroski said is dangerous to drive on the road.
Dombrowski stated the Manawa School District is up 10 students from last year. The total count is 778 students as of September.
The replacement of the Little Wolf High School gym floor was also discussed. The project begins this week with an anticipated finish date of the first week of December. The total price will be $114,238, which will be covered by insurance. Replacing a couple of doors will be paid by the School District of Manawa.