It may be summer, but the Newburg Board of Education already has important issues to deal with.
“We are $90,000 in the red,” Mary Hinkel, the board secretary, said about the projected budget for 2009-2010 school year.
Hinkel informed the board the projection was based on keeping expenses the same, with the exception of fuel and adjusting the expected revenues.
The board did not review the items on the budget, but Board President Ron Smith said the budget will need to be adjusted.
“$90,000 in the red is not where you want to start,” Smith said.
The board has until June to approve the budget.”
Changes to the staff were also decided by the board.
Oleta Rhoades, the speech, drama and english teacher was named the A Plus director for the school.
There was discussion about the requirements to be considered an A Plus school. Missouri requires to be an A Plus school, there must be a program director.
However, there was uncertainty of whether that requirement had been waived. According to Smith, it had not been.
“You could be wait a few years to see if they change it, but if they don’t then you will be two years behind,” Steve Guffey, the Newburg High School principal.
Rhoades will continue to teach three hours a day while spending four hours focusing on her director duties.
“We are on our way to an A Plus school and I think that is great,” Smith said.
Laura Ward, Rhoades student teacher, was also hired, following the decision to make Rhoades the A Plus director.
There was discussion also what do concerning the resignation of Debbie Roach, the elementary school secretary and the district’s secretarial needs.
How the staff would shuffled next year was not decided, however, Guffey along with Elementary School Principal Ron Reagan told the board another secretary would be needed.
“I don’t think there is any question we need to replace what we are losing,” Reagan said.
Board also discussed the issue of absences from summer school.
Several basketball players from the girls team wanted to be permitted to miss three days of summer school to attend a camp.
Students are permitted to miss one day out of a 10-day session and still receive credit for the class. Board members and administrators expressed doubt about giving certain students exemptions.
The board took no action on the request.