Pinckneyville High School board pares $600,000 deficit to $152,452

The Pinckneyville Community High School Board of Education adopted the district budget for 2014 which was placed on file at the July meeting. In July, the budget predicted a $600,000 shortfall in the Education Fund. Since July, some adjustments were made to salary schedules, operations and maintenance and transportation resulting in a projected shortfall of $152,452. General state aid is being funded at 88.7 percent of the foundation level.

In other business, the board:

• directed Superintendent Keith Hagene to draft a facilities naming policy after discussing policies from other districts which he had collected for the board. Research into the PCHS Booster Club Hall of Fame is to be conducted, as well. There are members who have received recognition in the past, but changes in leadership within the Boosters has allowed the program to lapse.

• accepted the resignation of Stuart Morgenstern fro the Education Foundation Board and appointed Michele Hastings Mohr and Jennifer Lemmon to the board.

• approved an overnight trip for FFA members to the National Convention in Louisville, Ky. on Oct. 30.

• reviewed the 2013 district audit from Schorb and Schmersall. The audit yielded a standard clean opinion.

• accepted the resignation of Leonard "LJ" Heisner as head wrestling coach and appointed Jeremiah Przygoda and Eric Tabing as volunteer coaches for the PCHS Bass Fishing Team.

• heard that the district received no bids on the salad bar declared surplus property at last month's meeting.

• heard a presentation from the PCHS Shooting Team and Coach Stu Wright. The team displayed some of their national trophies and Wright asked the district to recognize the group for their accomplishments.

• heard a report from Spanish teacher Marilyn Smith on the trip to Europe this summer. Students who went on the trip, chaperoned by Smith and Social Studies teacher Rob Simpson, told the board about the experience.