Centre board hires principal, considers budget
Nadine Smith of Ellsworth was employed Monday by the Centre board of education as 5-12 principal for the next school year. The board spent 15 minutes in executive session with Superintendent Bob Kiblinger before taking the action.
Smith was offered a two-year contract with a first-year salary of $52,000 plus benefits. The second-year salary will be negotiated.
Smith comes to Centre from Claflin, where she has been an instructor since 1998.
She is a graduate of Barton County Community College, Great Bend, and earned degrees in English and education administration from Fort Hays State University.
Clerk Peggy Falen presented an estimate of the budget picture for the 2007-08 school year.
Based on an FTE (full-time equivalency) enrollment of 265 students (three-year average), general fund revenues are expected to decrease anywhere from $14,318 to $46,686, depending on final decisions by the state legislature regarding school finance.
With no staff changes, natural movement on the salary schedule plus a 15 percent increase in health insurance premiums will require additional expenditures of approximately $14,372.
There will be a savings of $11,923 in superintendent salary, but an additional cost of hiring another administrator, as reported above.
Depending on the amount of the general fund decrease, more than $100,000 of additional revenue may be needed, and will have to come from cuts in spending and an increased LOB mill levy.
Superintendent Kiblinger presented a list of items for the board's consideration, to save general fund and LOB money. It included eliminating several sports activities, drivers' education, and two bus routes (over the next three years), and reducing some extra-curricular activities. He also suggested continuing to work on reducing insurance costs and purchasing buses less often or purchasing slightly used buses.
Kiblinger also projected that, by the fall of 2009 or 2010, as enrollment continues to decline, all grades should be able to fit into the present 5-12 structure with no additions. If that happens, the district could return to having just one administrator.
Estimated enrollment in 2007-08 is 252, with an FTE of 246.
In other business, the board:
— approved dismissal an hour early April 16 because Centre High School will host a forensics meet that day, beginning at 2:30 p.m.
— accepted the resignations of Ben Brakenhoff as math teacher and Lynley Remy as junior high pep club sponsor.
— purchased football headsets for three coaches from Porta Phone for $1,025. A bid from Motorola for $1,409.94 was rejected.
— heard a report from Leslie Beery, director of Parents as Teachers. Beery said no grant money has been available for the program since October, so assessments to school districts are projected to rise in coming years.
— approved the proposed 2007-08 school calendar. Classes will begin Aug. 16 and end May 22.
— approved a Blue Cross Blue Shield health insurance plan without drug coverage, effective May 1, at an employee premium of $293.20, an increase of $23.98.
— spent time in executive session discussing personnel and certificated staff negotiations.
Kiblinger announced that instructor Gaea Wimmer has been selected to participate in the 2007 Toyota International Teacher Program to Japan. More than 500 applications were received for 40 possible awards.
