Staff writer
Goessel board of education approved a recommendation to take the district’s 33-percent Local Option Budget (LOB) resolution to voters in May after a discussion at their monthly meeting Monday.
“Even though our state aid is being reduced, if we don’t go to 33 percent, we’re leaving state aid dollars on the table,” Superintendent John Fast said.
The board’s resolution comes as a response to the Kansas Legislature’s proposal to eliminate the state school funding formula and instead give schools money in one big sum, called a block grant.
Fast said it’s hard for the school to make plans because the legislature still has to approve either the block grants or Governor Sam Brownback’s reductions.
“As things currently stand, we know the governor’s allotment will reduce Goessel payments by $20,700,” Fast said. “If the block grant is approved by legislature, the governor’s allotment becomes rescinded. If that happens, the cuts won’t come from our general fund, but rather from our capital outlay state aid, which amounts to $8,000.”
Fast said USD 411’s LOB would also be cut.
“We don’t know the exact amount right now, but I expect the cut to be above $20,000,” he said. “As part of the block grant, legislature is assuming that every district across the state will have to go to 33 percent or face making deeper cuts.”
The board is looking at ways to be more cost-efficient, and is considering the possibility of using money from their contingency fund to help cover short falls.
In other business:
- Board members heard a construction report in which they learned a parking lot west of the high school is the only major thing that needs to be completed. “They still have to grade it, put two layers of gravel down, and install concrete bumpers in the car stalls,” Fast said. “They are also working to finish some of the electrical work in the paint booth.”
- Board members accepted a resignation from Matt Cole, Goessel’s former assistant football coach.
- The board also entered into executive session to discuss personnel, after which no action was taken.