THE GRINNELL-NEWBURG SCHOOL BOARD LAST NIGHT TOOK NO ACTION ON THE BUDGET FOR THE UPCOMING SCHOOL YEAR…BUT DISCUSSED REDUCTION PROPOSALS FOR WELL OVER AN HOUR.
SUPERINTENDENT EDIE ECKLES SUGGESTED THE BOARD NOT TAKE ACTION ON THE BUDGET… SAYING A NUMBER OF ITEMS HAD COME UP IN THE LAST 48 HOURS. SHE SAID, QUOTE, “WE’RE NOT IN ANY HURRY…WE CAN GO BACK TO THE DRAWING BOARD.” SHE SAID MORE REDUCTIONS CAN BE BUILT INTO THE BUDGET, BUT DID NOT SHARE ANY DETAILS ABOUT WHAT THOSE REDUCTIONS MIGHT BE. SHE DID SAY THEY WOULDN’T INVOLVE CUTTING ANY POSITIONS.
THE BOARD DID DISCUSS 24 SUGGESTED BUDGET REDUCTIONS, TWO BUDGET INCREASES AND SIX ALTERNATIVE REDUCTIONS.
A REDUCTION PROPOSAL THAT RECEIVED SOME DISCUSSION WAS THE PROPOSED CUT OF THE HEAD FOOTBALL COACH CONTRACT OF 63-HUNDRED DOLLARS. ALTHOUGH COACH JIM DUNNE OFFERED TO VOLUNTARILY GIVE UP THE CONTRACT AND WAS WILLING TO DO THE JOB ON A VOLUNTARY BASIS, BOARD MEMBER DOUG CAMERON SAID HE DIDN’T THINK IT WAS A GOOD IDEA…POINTING TO FUTURE YEARS. LYNN CAVANAUGH SAID IT’S A BIG JOB AND A BIG COMMITMENT AND DESERVES A FAIR SALARY.
ONE OF THE BUDGET INCREASES WAS THE HIRING OF AN ADDITIONAL 5TH GRADE TEACHER. ECKLES SAID ALTHOUGH THERE ARE 105 STUDENTS IN 5TH GRADE THIS YEAR, THERE ARE 141 STUDENTS IN 4TH GRADE… INCLUDING A NUMBER OF SPECIAL EDUCATION STUDENTS…SO NEXT YEAR’S 5TH GRADE CLASS WILL BE MUCH LARGER.
THE NET REDUCTION COMES TO 161-THOUSAND DOLLARS. BUT THE ADDITIONAL ALTERNATIVE REDUCTIONS WOULD MAKE A TOTAL OF UP TO 221-THOUSAND DOLLARS IN REDUCTIONS. THE BOARD HAD BEEN FACING BUDGET CUTS OF NEARLY 360-THOUSAND DOLLARS.
TO SEE THE REVISED BUDGET PROPOSAL, CLICK ON THE ICON BELOW.
