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Steeleville District 138 avoids deficit reduction plan

Posted June 22, 2015 11:00 pm

By Pete Spitler The Herald Tribune

STEELEVILLE -- For at least another year, Steeleville District 138 will avoid having to suffer a deficit reduction plan due to cuts in state funding.

"Our amended budget came very, very close and of this point, we will not have to do a deficit reduction plan," said District Superintendent Stephanie Mulholland during Monday's Board of Education meeting. "But that is probably the last year of skating past that."

Steeleville and other districts statewide are burning through their reserves as cuts to general state aid and the state's fiscal mess have made it increasingly difficult to make ends meet.

"Where we were five years ago with reserves is not where we are now," Mulholland said during a media interview after the meeting. "We've been slowly spending that extra (money) that we had saved because the state hasn't been making the payments that they need to."

The BOE approved the 2014-15 amended budget at last night's meeting. A budget summary, provided to the media, showed a deficit of $375,120. To avoid a deficit reduction plan, the difference between a district's revenues and expenditures can be no less than one-third of the ending fund balance.

If that happens, the Illinois State Board of Education requires districts to adopt and file a plan to balance their budget within three years.

"It would get pretty drastic," Mulholland said. "We've already cut what we can cut in terms of programs.

"We can take a look at Driver's Ed, we can increase class sizes, which is the last thing I want to do."

During the meeting, board member Lisa Lowry-Rohlfing asked the other board members how much money the district is losing on Driver's Education.

Mulholland said the final payrolls are not in and the state contributes $6,200 to that area of education. She also estimated that the deficit is in the "thousands" of dollars.

The BOE took no action on the topic, with it anticipated to be discussed during the board's July 20 meeting.

In other action, the BOE approved new Steeleville High School cheerleading coach Bethany Loos. Loos, who is from Pinckneyville, was one of two candidates who applied for the position.

"I think she is a very strong candidate," said Assistant Superintendent/Steeleville High School Principal Jennifer Haertling of Loos. "She came in very prepared with a lot of ideas."

Under informational items, the BOE approved Mulholland's request to advertise for two open positions. The district is looking for an elementary teacher with a junior high language arts endorsement and a first grade teacher.

"I don't think we'll have a problem getting applicants, it's just finding the person that I want," Mulholland said.

"Elementary teachers are generally not math lovers," Mulholland added. "So, they tend to gravitate toward language arts or social studies on endorsements."

The discussion went to whether or not to split the third grade at Steeleville Elementary School during morning classes as that grade is estimated to have 27 or 28 students.

"A lot of it depends on registration," Mulholland said.

Roundup

The BOE approved a Letter of Intent to Retire from Steeleville High School Secretary Judy Rodewald. Rodewald will be one of three district employees, with Cindy Ramsey and Deb Uchtman being the others, due to retire in 2018.

The BOE accepted the resignation of fifth grade teacher Katrina Wright.

The BOE accepted the resignation of part-time evening custodian Jim Heinzman.

The BOE accepted the resignation of SHS volunteer dance coach Heather Stroud.

The BOE approved extracurricular assignments for 2015-16. Lesley Holloway and Michelle Mohr will be the ninth grade sponsors.

The BOE reviewed minutes of closed meetings and approved destruction of closed meeting recordings from November 2013 and earlier.

The BOE approved book rental and fees for 2015-16.

The BOE approved a prevailing wage resolution.

The BOE tabled a decision to appoint a board member to the Perandoe Representative Assembly.

The BOE briefly discussed sports expenses, with the topic slated for further discussion during its July meeting.

Mulholland had no updates on the roof project at Steeleville Elementary other than work was estimated to begin on Wednesday, weather permitting.

Haertling reported that former SHS agricultural education teacher Blake Colclasure had informed her the school is a finalist for a $10,000 Monsanto Fund grant to help with its outdoor Innovation Garden and other projects.

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