The
Exeter-Milligan School Board began their meeting on Wednesday August 13 without
board member Tom Sluka and Superintendent Paul Sheffield.
The board
discussed the building and grounds update, specifically the storm damage
repair. They also received an update on
the TYKE playground noting that there are fourteen students enrolled in the
program this semester.
The board
recognized the written agreement from the Friend school to join the
Exeter-Milligan junior high football team.
“They are welcome to bring one coach but it will be an Exeter-Milligan
team,” noted board member Jim Zeleny.
School Board
President Dr. Sharon Kuska confirmed that there were no changes to the junior
high football agreement and it was for one year only.
After setting the budget work session and
approving Tara Milton as a local substitute the board took a recess until
Sheffield and Sluka could join the meeting.
After the recess
further discussion was held on the building updates. Sheffield noted that the carpet was installed
but the windows for the shop building had not come in yet. The window air conditioners in the band room
were not working and so an air conditioning unit was installed along with the
furnace in the Milligan gym. The damaged
and diseased trees at the Exeter site were removed but the flagpole has not
been replaced since it was taken down by the storm.
There was also
discussion on replacing the roof and the board decided to reroof using Connor
Roofing.
This summer the
weight room was moved to the south half of the small gym and with the extra
equipment that was purchased there is not room to put the equipment back. Board member Tim Pribyl was concerned, “Can
we do concessions in just half of the small gym?”
Board member Jim
Zeleny asked, “Are there any partitions we can put up?”
Sheffield noted “Steve
(Briske, Head Custodian) and I have talked about room dividers. We will have to take a couple of pieces of
equipment out just to let the concessions fit.
We will lose the southeast door.
It would be a little bit smaller but it would fit.”
Sheffield
reported that the fence for the preschool playground would be installed once a
little more cement work was completed in the area. The board noted that they hoped to remove the
barb wire from the top of the track fence when the TYKE fence is installed.
The discussion
moved on to budget and valuations.
Sheffield had attended a Cross Roads Conference meeting earlier that
evening and reported, “All of the schools in the CRC reported their valuations
had gone up. York County went up about
25% instead of 12% like Fillmore County.
Saline County was around 32%.”
“The State gives
us a budget. Our Special Ed expenses are
up as we have had a couple of families move in with some kids with needs. We were sitting at a 67.5 cent levy but with
valuations it should be lower. If valuations stay the same or increase as
projected we may not need the levy override again. Our state aid got cut in half again.”
Right now Sheffield
reported that the building fund levy is at .07 cents.
The board asked
Sheffield if they could dissolve the JPA since they have no building plans in
the works right now. Sheffield responded
that that would be up to the Village.
Chairman of the Exeter Village Board Alan Michl was in attendance and so
the Board asked if the Village would be willing to dissolve and Michl answer
with a quick and decisive, “No.”
Board member
Annette Gloystein asked, “Can we have the JPA and be inactive?”
The answer was
yes, according to Sheffield, “We can amend the budget to spend funds but you
cannot receive funds. There should be
about $500,000 in that JPA account.”
The board moved
to another agenda item, transferring funds to the depreciation account. Sheffield explained that this was an
expenditure fund but the purchases made from the account must be for items that
depreciate over time. The board did not take an action on transferring funds as
they wanted to wait until the budget is confirmed.
The Fillmore
County Development Corporation approached all the school districts in the
county asking if they want to become members of the group. There were given a brochure with different
levels of membership by dollar amounts.
“The one thing I
don’t like about it is one public tax entity supporting another,” noted Brent
Moore, “But the FCDC has done a career day that our students participate
in. They go to different businesses in
the county and see what is available in Fillmore County. It enhances the education experience for our
district.”
The board
adjourned setting the next meeting for Wednesday, September 10th in
Exeter.
