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Planning, School Finance Law Affect Salina, Kan., School District

Posted on: Wednesday, 13 July 2005, 00:00 CDT

Jul. 12--Thanks to a combination of planning and a new school finance law's infusion of extra cash, the Ell-Saline School District is in a position of possibly lowering its mill levy in the coming year.

Jerry Minneman, who sort-of became superintendent on July 1, briefed board members Monday on the district's financial situation, explaining how the school finance law passed last week will affect the district.

Because of how recently the law was passed, he said, the Kansas Department of Education hasn't yet prepared all the tables and forms used to calculate exact numbers. But he noted that one facet of the law includes the state contributing more money to districts' capital outlay and local option budgets. In Ell-Saline's case, that's an extra $48,000.

In addition, the bonds used to pay for the new gym built in 1988 will be paid off this fall, reducing bond payments by about three mills, while bonds for an expansion project in 1999 will be paid off in 2009.

Bottom line, Minneman said, is the budget proposal he'll bring to the board in August won't have "an increase of any magnitude -- and possibly a slight reduction."

The board also discussed and then tabled installing permanent fencing around the football stadium bleacher area, instead of continuing to rely on temporary snow fencing to control access during games.

However, several board members noted that the concession area is outside where the fencing would be. They thought that could create problems with people leaving to get a snack and then needing back in.

Others noted the proposed fence would be right up against the back of the bleachers, possibly encouraging students to climb down the back.

Minneman explained to the board that he had formally retired as superintendent in Ness City on May 31, in order to meet a KPERS requirement that he be off-contract for a month in order to take another job and draw retirement pay.

However, Minneman told the board Monday that KPERS had since decided that retiring a month early from Ness City didn't qualify, as it didn't count as an "extenuating circumstance."

Instead, he asked the board to agree to not formally start his contract in Ell-Saline until Aug. 1, giving him the needed 30 days between then and when his contract would normally have expired on June 30 in Ness City. He also requested that his salary then be paid over 11 months instead of 12. The plan had been endorsed by attorneys for the Kansas Association of School Boards.

"I'll still be here every day -- it's just that my name won't be on anything legal" until Aug. 1, he said. "I'm here, I'm working -- don't expect anything less."

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Copyright (c) 2005, The Salina Journal, Kan.

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Source: The Salina Journal

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