By Crystal Hayduk
The Chelsea School District Board of Education approved the 2017-18 amended budget at its meeting on Jan. 22.
Michelle Cowhy, executive director of finance and administrative services, presented a detailed analysis of the changes in her report to the board. On the revenue side, an unexpected increase in both student count and the state’s Foundation Allowance (per pupil funding); on the expense side, curriculum costs, tuition payments for students attending alternative programs, and excess equity payments to staff (per the current contract) accounted for the major changes. “The preliminary budget has to be made before we know a lot of the information,” she said.
The increases in revenue give the district an estimated total fund equity balance on June 30, 2018 of nearly $5.206 million. This is an unassigned fund equity of 16.31 percent of expenditures – slightly above the district’s goal of 15 percent.
The school board also approved the resolution of the sale of refunding and project bonds to UBS Financial Services, following a presentation by representatives from PFM Financial Advisors and Thrun Law. The school district has an A+ credit rating, and received 12 bids for the bond sale. The sale serves to refund the 2008 bond and the 2009 voter-authorized bond and lower the interest rate to 1.92 percent, which will save the district more than $1 million in interest over the next seven years.
Approximately $3 million of the bond proceeds will be placed in the Project Fund, with the balance placed in escrow to pay off the outstanding 2008 bond funds on May 1.
School principals made short presentations for School Board Appreciation Month. On behalf of North Creek Elementary School, Dr. Luman Strong introduced second graders Landry Cook and Landon Scott, members of the student leadership team, who presented the board with a poster. Stacie Battaglia (South Meadows Elementary) and Nick Angel (Beach Middle School) presented student thank you videos, and Chelsea High School (CHS) Principal Mike Kapolka presented handmade cards from art teacher Geo Rutherford, signed by students.
Superintendent Julie Helber thanked the board for their “collaboration and involvement as we run Chelsea School District together.” She emphasized their dedication to the district, especially considering that many of them also hold full-time jobs and have families.
During the opportunity for public input, Beth Morris, CHS social worker, represented the Chelsea Education Association (CEA) to thank the board for their leadership. The CEA donated a total of eight books to the four building libraries in their honor. “The love of reading in this district is evident K-12,” she said.
(Board member Laura Bush was absent from the meeting.)
In other board news:
- Michele Oberholtzer, a 2003 Chelsea High School graduate, is on the cover of Time (Jan. 29, 2018) because she is running for state representative in Michigan’s District 4, which includes Hamtramck and part of Detroit.
- The board commended Patrick Bertoni (football/basketball) and Caroline Hirth (cross country/softball) for being named finalists for the Michigan High School Athletic Association Scholar-Athlete Award.
- The board also commended Vocal Music Director Steve Hinz for leading the cultural exchange of the choirs of CHS with Detroit Renaissance. As written in Kapolka’s report to the board, “Through fellowship and music, our two communities were able to share their common experiences and celebrate all of the things that keep us connected as global citizens.”
Upcoming dates:
- Parent-teacher conferences will be held from 3:45-7 p.m. on Jan. 24 at Beach Middle School by appointment only; and on Jan. 25 at Chelsea High School on a first-come, first-served basis.
- The next school board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 at South Meadows Elementary School, 355 Pierce St.
- There will be no school Feb. 16-19 for Presidents’ Weekend.
