By ADAM STEWART

Staff writer

State legislators passed a $120 per pupil cut in state aid, the smaller of two proposals.

USD 410 will need to cut about $425,000 from the general fund and local option budgets for the 2009-10 school year, said Business Manager Jerry Hinerman Monday during a USD 410 Board of Education meeting.

The funding cut proposal came from the Kansas State Senate. If the House of Representatives’ version had passed, the district would have needed to cut as much as $550,000.

Interim Superintendent Doug Huxman urged financial caution by board members. The state legislature cut $33 per pupil during the 2008-09 school year.

“I think we haven’t seen all the cuts,” Huxman said.

The state also cut all capital outlay funding to school districts for 2009-10. USD 410 received $78,500 in 2008-09, Hinerman said.

During a special April 29 meeting, Hinerman outlined about $511,000 of budget cuts the district could make for 2009-10.

Athletic facility over budget

The joint athletic facility project with Tabor College is about $31,000 over budget, Hinerman said.

The overage comes from several expenses.

The general contractor’s guaranteed maximum price was raised $12,611 for extra work; architectural reimbursable expenses, $5,870; plan printing and expenses, $788; civil engineering, $284; public address system, $20,657; field lighting, $9,672; and seeding, $1,000.

There was a savings of about $20,000 on the scoreboard, Hinerman said.

All or part of the amount over budget could be absorbed by a $100,000 contingency fund in the general contractor’s guaranteed maximum price, but only if it isn’t spent, Hinerman said.

TSA to compete nationally

Hillsboro High School Technology Student Association will compete at nationals June 28-July 2 in Denver.

The board approved TSA’s trip after seeing a presentation by the students and sponsors.

Students Nicholas Ediger, Amanda Roble, and Aaron Slater spoke about their events. Co-sponsor Creigh Bell was pleased with how well the team did after losing several upperclassmen from 2007-08.

New co-sponsor Bob Woelk said he was surprised how well the school’s TSA program is known and respected in the Kansas organization. The students are committed to doing well in competition.

Transportation to national competition was budgeted, Huxman said. Students cover their own expenses, and instructors’ expenses can be paid from the professional development budget.

The board also approved allowing unofficial sponsor Merlin Funk to attend with the team. There will be no expense to the district allowing him to ride with the team.

In other business:

• The district will advertise for applicants to fill a vacant board position. The decision to fill the position came to the board after the winner of a tiebreaker between three write-in candidates declined the position. Interviews with applicants will be in open session.
• A new agreement with Emprise Bank for renting space for the district office was approved. The new agreement ends Dec. 31, at which point it will be month-to-month, and either party can end it with 60 days notice.
• Maintenance director Keith Goosen outlined summer maintenance projects. Among the likely projects are re-shingling parts of the high school where there are leaks, re-carpeting six rooms where the carpet is wrinkled causing a tripping hazard, adding necessary wiring at the high school to handle the demand from new student laptop computers, and installing blinds in the high school art room.
• The next USD 410 Board of Education meeting will be 7 p.m. June 8.