School Board Adopts 2016-17 Budget

— by Margie Doyle, updated August 2 at 3:45 p.m. —

At the July 28 meeting of the Orcas Island School District (OISD) Board, the main order of business was to approve and adopt the budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year. That budget is set at a General Fund appropriation of $10,360,627, and a total budget of almost $20 million.

In accepting the budget, the board agreed to lower the ending fund balance target FOR 16-17 from 8.33% to 7%. (The target for the reserve fund was set at 5.75% of the budget in 2008; that percentage was reached and exceeded in 2014-15.) The board decided to draw upon the reserve increases this year to allow for its increased budget. The district is committed to meet the goal of 8.33% in coming years, even though it was not possible to reach that in the budget for the 2016-17 fiscal year, said Business Manager Keith Whitaker.

“To balance the budget in the coming year required some program adjustments and the use of local, one-time contributions,” wrote Whitaker. Significant among those contributions is $100,000 from the Orcas Island Education Foundation.

Whitaker prepared a draft budget report for the 2016-17 fiscal Year, fulfilling a long-term  board goal. In the draft Budget Report, Whitaker provides an Executive and Financial Summary, Explanation of Goals and Objectives, discussion of Budget Policies and a list of the five funds within the annual budget:

• General Fund ($10,214,671);
• Capital Project Fund (8,400,000);
• Debt Service Fund ($1,109,540);
• Associated Student Body Fund ($46,250);
• Transportation Vehicle Fund($0).

Enrollment trends attribute “rapid and significant growth in enrollment over a period of several years, due to the expansion of the distance learning aspect of our Alternative Learning Experience program, OASIS K-12, the district has been in a period of relatively stable enrollment numbers,” with the average annual full time equivalent (FTE) students numbering between 780 and 800 students.

For the following year, however, the district is projecting an enrollment of 760 FTE students, due to recent changed in enrollment patterns which “suggested that caution in enrollment assumptions was advisable.”

The draft report details General Fund revenues, expenditures and balances. Whitaker will finalize his draft to include summary reports of the other four funds and additional information on the budget process. When it is completed the Budget Report will be posted to the school website at www.orcasschools.org.

In Superintendent Eric Webb’s report to the board, he said that he would offer the position of Elementary Principal to the finalist selected by the interview team in the first week of August, with final approval by the school board to take place soon afterward.

Webb also said that the sixth-grade will be a part of the elementary school in September and will transition during the year to become part of the middle school in the next school year (2017-18). There will also be two 4th and 5th grade multi-age classrooms “similar in concept to the current 1st and 2nd grade multi-age classrooms. This new grade configuration will facilitate introduction of Montessori Best Practices into the upper grades.”

The OISD has “started to recruit for the ‘Team3’ Bond Project Committee… to serve as the core group to review and refine items identified by the district that could be included in the Phase III Bond Project.

The Current Bond Timeline is as follows:

• District Identification of Needs June and July
• ‘Team 3’ Meetings — August 15 and 16 and September
• Community Information Nights and Walk-Through Bond Tours — September and October
• School Board Discussion — Board Meetings October and November
• Resolution Deadline — December 16
• Special Election — February 14

Updated Staffing

The following positions on the Consent Agenda were approved:

Certificated:
● Hire Jill Sherman as a 0.10 annual FTE OHS Math Teacher for the 2016-17 school year. Approximate annual cost: $8,750.00; includes a 38% benefit allocation. This position is funded by the “Tiny House” grant.
● Reinstate the following Provisional Teachers who received notices of non-renewal in May 2016, for the 2016-17 school year:

○ Shelly Rankin, 0.70 annual FTE OASIS K-8 Teacher. Approximate annual cost: $54,558.80; includes a 38% benefit allocation.
○ Chris Waage, 0.038 annual FTE MS/HS CTE Teacher. Approximate annual cost: $31,838.46; includes a 38% benefit allocation.
○ Kelly Carpenter, 0.20 annual FTE MS Teacher. Approximate annual cost: $14,025.05; includes a 38% benefit allocation.

● Appoint Chris Waage as the Senior Class Advisor for the 2016-17 school year. Annual Stipend: $1,189.98.
● Appoint Chris Waage as the Newspaper (Viking Voice) Advisor for the 2016-17 school year. Annual Stipend: $1,983.30.
● Appoint Phil Comito as the Junior Class Advisor for the 2016-17 school year. Annual Stipend: $1,189.98.
● Appoint Paula Towne as the Sophomore Class Advisor for the 2016-17 school year. Annual Stipend: $793.32.
● Appoint Paula Towne as the Enrichment Coordinator for the 2016-17 school year. Annual Stipend: $2,379.96.
● Appoint Michael Buckner as the OHS ASB Advisor for the 2016-17 school year. Annual Stipend: $991.65.
● Appoint Vicky Clancy as the National Honor Society Advisor for the 2016-17 school year. Annual Stipend: $396.66.
● Appoint Brett McFarland as the Ecology/Environmental Club Advisor for the 2016-17 school year. Annual Stipend: $1,189.98.
● Appoint Corey Wiscomb as the OHS Yearbook Advisor for the 2016-17 school year. Annual Stipend: $1,983.30.
● Appoint Darren Dix as the Music Director: Band for the 2016-17 school year. Annual Stipend: $1,338.31.
● Appoint Pamela Wright as the Music Director: Strings for the 2016-17 school year. Annual Stipend: $1,338.31.

Approve a Curriculum Leader Extra Duty stipend in the amount of $1600.00 for each of the following teachers for the 2016-17 school year:

○ Lorena Stankevich, Elementary Math Curriculum Leader
○ Martha Inch, Elementary Science Curriculum Leader

Approve a Curriculum Leader Extra Duty stipend in the amount of $1200.00 for each of the following teachers for the 2016-17 school year:

○ Glenda Smith, Elementary ELA Curriculum Leader
○ Patricia Slabaugh, OASIS K-8 ELA Curriculum Leader
○ Blythe Simpson, OASIS K-8 Math Curriculum Leader
○ Christian Hawes, OASIS K-8 Science Curriculum Leader
○ Vicky Clancy, MS/HS Math Curriculum Leader
○ Brett McFarland, MS/HS Science Curriculum Leader
○ Phil Comito, MS/HS History-Social Studies Curriculum Leader
Paula Towne, MS/HS ELA Curriculum Leader

PSE Represented Classified:

• Accept a resignation from Sarah McKay, Paraeducator 1, effective August 31, 2016
• Open a 0.606 Annual FTE paraedicator 1 position (due to staff resignation) for the 2016-17 school year… Approximate annual cost: $34,427.36; includes a 50% benefit allocation.

Non-Represented Classified:
● Accept a resignation from Ricardo Molina, School Nurse, effective August 31, 2016.
● Open a 0.199 annual FTE School Nurse position, due to staff resignation, for the 2016-17 school year..Approximate annual cost: $16,718.35; includes a 45% benefit allocation.
Co-curricular:
● Approve Justin Frausto as the OHS Head Football Coach for the 2016-17 school year. Step 3 Stipend: $2,877.00.
● Approve Rebekah Hardee as the OHS Head Volleyball Coach for the 2016-17 school year. Step 2 stipend: $2,740.00.
● Approve Janna Carter as the OHS Assistant Volleyball Coach for the 2016-17 school year. Step 2 stipend: $1,781.00.
● Approve Chris Doherty as the OHS Head Girls’ Soccer Coach for the 2016-17 school year. Step 3 stipend: $2,877.00.
● Approve Stephanie Shaw as the OHS Assistant Girls’ Soccer Coach for the 2016-17 school year. Step 3 stipend: $1,918.00.
● Approve Terry Turner as the OHS Head Boys’ Soccer Coach for the 2016-17 school year. Step 5 stipend: $3,151.00.
● Approve Laura Hohman as the OHS Volunteer Head Cross Country Coach for the 2016-17 school year.
● Approve Stephen Hohman as the OHS Volunteer Assistant Cross Country Coach for the 2016-17 school year.
● Approve Kathy Morris as the MS Head Volleyball Coach for the 2016-17 school year. Step 5 stipend: $1,918.00.
● Approve Erika Harlow as the MS Volunteer Assistant Volleyball Coach for the 2016-17 school year.
● Approve Phil Carter as the MS Head Co-ed Soccer Coach for the 2016-17 school year. Step 3 stipend: $1,644.00.