School board to make significant financial decisions this Thursday

The Orcas Island School District Board of Directors met on Thursday, July 16 to review the proposed draft for the 2009 – 2010 General Fund, Associated Student Body (ASB) Fund, Capital Projects Fund, Debt Service Fund, and Transportation Vehicle Fund budgets.

A copy of the 2009-2010 Budget is available at the District Office for public viewing. The board gave their preliminary approval to the budget.

In a report prepared for the July 23 regular school district meeting, at which the district board will finalize their decision on the budget, Superintendent Barbara Kline wrote:

The budget that we are proposing for approval at the July meeting contains some partially funded programs and staffing.  As the high school schedule is prepared, the classes not funded for 2^nd semester will be identified so that it is clear which are not fully funded for the year.

The list of certificated staff on the agenda for approval is a partial list.  Funds have been allocated for the return of a further small amount of certificated FTE.  However, what that will be depends on the results of scheduling work that will be done by the middle of August. Funds have been allocated in the budget for these expected additions.

There are also several competitive grants whose outcome is still unknown that may affect staffing. These grants are the County Mental Health Grant, the Navigation 101 grant and a third one for social studies. We should hear about these during August but decisions may not come in until September.

Sports also will only be funded until winter quarter.  In November, the board will re-evaluate the budget with the intention of guaranteeing both the full high school schedule and all of the winter/spring sports programs.

By then, it is hoped that enrollment numbers and the reserve fund will increase.  If not, there may be significant cuts district-wide come the start of 2010. Those cuts would not necessarily be in either sports or high school programming as the board would consider all elements of the district’s budgets.

The board will also consider:

• Release of Bond funds to hire an architect for School Bond Architectural Schematics;
• 20% increase in Middle and High School Athletic participation fees;
• Acceptance of a  donation of $7,500.from the Marion D. Wiseman Trust to outfit the High School football team;
• Approval of policy for board resignations.

In addition, the board will consider reinstatement of certificated and classified staff for the 2009-2010 school year as follows:

Certificated:

• Approve hiring Caroline Huxtable as a non-continuing 0.7 FTE Waldron K-8 teacher ($37,142);
• Approve hiring Jill Ciolli as a non-continuing 0.3 FTE Waldron K-8 teacher, includes 0.1 FTE Admin;
• Approve increasing FTE for Brett McFarland’s Waldron K-8 assignment from 0.09 to 0.10 FTE;
• Approve increasing Marta Branch’s OASIS summer school (2009) contract by 40 additional hours.

PSE-Represented Classified:

• Approve hiring Patricia Goffeney to fill the new 0.706 FTE position of Secretary/Clerk for the OASIS programs (seven hours per school day);
• Approve increasing the annual Waldron School maintenance hours for Jeff Heater, from 585 to 1105 (ten additional hours per week, year round) increasing his FTE from 0.231 to 0.581 FTE;
• Approve increasing the annual Waldron School mail clerk hours for Robin Hatten, from 108 to 125, increasing her FTE from 0.052 to 0.06;
• Approve opening a new 0.46 FTE Food Service Worker position (five hours per school day).

Non-Represented Classified:

Co-Curricular Staff:

• Appoint Dennis Dahl to serve in his 20^th year as Head Football Coach, stipend: $2,820;
• Appoint Scott Harris to serve in his 8^th year as Assistant Football Coach, stipend: $1,839;
• Appoint Gregg Sasan to serve in his 18^th year as Head Volleyball Coach, stipend: $2,820;
• Appoint Hank Date to serve in his 4^th year as Assistant Volleyball Coach, stipend: $1,716;
• Appoint Matt Stolmeier to serve in his 3^rd year as Head Boys Soccer Coach, stipend: $2,575;
• Appoint Chama Anderson to serve in her 3^rd year as Head Girls Soccer Coach, stipend: $2,575;
• Appoint Kathy Morris to serve in her 7^th year as MS Volleyball Coach, stipend $1,594;
• Appoint Chris Doherty to serve in his 6^th year as MS Co-Ed Soccer Coach, stipend: $1,594;
• Appoint Dennis Dahl and Mark Padbury to equally share the position of Senior Class Advisor ($567 ea)
• Appoint Vicki Clancy as the Sophomore Class Advisor ($378);
• Appoint Lyn Perry, Kathi Anderson, Lori Oakes, Laura Tidwell to equally share MS Advisor ($141 ea);
• Appoint Lori Oakes as the Enrichment Coordinator ($2,270);
• Appoint Kathleen Collister as the HS ASB Advisor ($567);
• Appoint Kari Schuh as the Vocational Director ($2,837);
• Appoint Paul Evans as the HS Yearbook Advisor ($1,891);
• Appoint Lizz Hanks as the MS/HS Music Director ($946);
• Appoint Pamela Wright as the Elementary Music Director ($946).