School Board Approves 2015-16 Budget
Oskaloosa, Iowa – The Oskaloosa School Board met in regular session on Monday, April 13th.
The board gave reports, including a report from board vice-president Tom Richardson, who attended the 75th Annual Association of School Boards Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. Richardson gave a 5 minute talk about highlights from the convention, and says there is much more to learn and share from his 15 pages of notes.
Other board members gave praise to students in regards to their activities and achievements, including the recent trips by students to Washington D.C., Chicago, China and the Sock Monkeys for returning to Worlds, to name a few.
Oskaloosa School Superintendent Russ Reiter updated the board on the legislative activity in regards to school funding. He once again encouraged those interested to contact their representatives at the Iowa Statehouse about the matter. The current funding increase proposed by the Iowa House remains at 1.25%.
The Board conducted its public hearing regarding the 2015-16 certified budget. After 3 calls to the public for comment, by Board President Carl Drost, and having no one speak in regard to the certified budget, the hearing was closed.
The board then approved the 2015-16 certified budget. The published budget was for 4% increase in state spending, but the actual budget will work from a 0% increase. This set the maximum revenue possible for the district. By law, they can always decrease a published budget, but not increase it.
This was done due to the deadlock between the Iowa House and Senate in regards to the school spending increase. The House has proposed a 1.25% increase, while the Senate has initially proposed a 6% increase.
The two chambers have now been in committee to work on getting the funding bill passed. The House Republicans say they will only do a 1.25% increase. If the two houses can’t agree on that amount, then the funding increase will be 0%.
Also approved was the revised 2015-16 school calendar.
Recently, Iowa Governor Terry Branstad signed into law the bill that set the start date for school in Iowa at August 23rd.
In the initial calendar, Oskaloosa was scheduled to start school on August 31st, but with the new bill in place Oskaloosa will now start school on Tuesday, August 25th, 2015.
The board also considered bids for the purchase of school buses for the district.
One new bus and a Suburban were recommended by Reiter to the board. Reiter said that the cost of new buses continues to increase dramatically due to increasing standards for the vehicles.
“What we use to get for 60 or 70 thousand dollars is now 100 thousand dollars,” says Oskaloosa Transportation Director Dale Nelson.
The board approved the purchase of the new vehicles for the 2015-16 school year.
