By Crystal Hayduk
The Chelsea School District (CSD) Board of Education approved the amended budget as presented by Michelle Cowhy, assistant superintendent of finance and administrative services, at its meeting on Feb. 11.
In her detailed analysis of the changes from the preliminary budget, which is made before all financial information is known, Cowhy noted a revenue increase of $812,530 from adjustments to state aid due to an increased foundation allowance and pupil count, as well as current and prior year adjustments to Act 18, which is the special education millage.
The revenues were outweighed by increased expenses of $929,928. More than $700,000 on the expense side is a result of contract settlement and other salary and benefit increases, in addition to another $200,000 in increased substitute costs as well as technology and curriculum budget increases. Technology and curriculum increases will be paid for with assigned fund balances for their respective departments.
The district’s estimated total fund equity balance on June 30, 2019 will be about $5.371 million. This is an unassigned fund equity of 15.43 percent of expenditures, very close to the district’s goal of 15 percent.
Amy Hobley of the American Heart Association informed the board of the donation of a CPR in Schools Training Kit. She commended the district for its requirement that students learn CPR before graduation.
Hobley said that a bystander performing hands-only CPR can double or triple the chance of survival for a person experiencing cardiac arrest outside of the hospital.
Diane Hockett and Steve Olsen, members of the Washtenaw Intermediate School District (WISD) Board of Education, reviewed highlights of the year-end 2017-18 report. Olsen outlined WISD’s three primary goals – which focus on equity, social justice, and inclusion – and some activities toward meeting the goals.
- The goals are as follows:
Provide leadership for equity and opportunity to ensure coordinated and aligned efforts from birth through college and career with specific attention to underserved and underperforming students in Washtenaw County. - Cultivate an organizational culture of equity, inclusion, and social justice through education, engagement, and action.
- Advocate for policies that support equity and inclusion on the local, state, and national levels.
The full board report is available here.
WISD’s equity policy is available here.
Olsen encouraged the CSD community to get involved and lobby Lansing legislators. “They really do listen, especially when new people contact them,” he said.
Hockett reviewed a number of services that WISD provides to the local school districts, including professional development and technical support.
In other board news:
Following the cancellation of the Jan. 28 board meeting, the district extended observance of School Board Appreciation Month. Teacher Meg Emlaw presented books donated by the Chelsea Education Association to the school media centers in honor of the board.
District administrators gave token gifts to each board member, and a short video recording of preschool students thanking the board was emailed to individual board members.
The board approved the bid from Advanced Communications & Data (ACD) for a three-year contract to provide a secondary internet connection at a cost of $804 per month.
According to Scott Wooster, director of technology, this will triple the internet speed of that connection and reduce the cost by nearly half.
Superintendent Julie Helber said the state allows for six canceled school days per year. As of this writing, the district has had nine days canceled.
Helber plans to apply to the state for a waiver, which may “forgive” up to three days, once she determines the number of weather-related missed instruction days.
Additional canceled days will be added to the end of the school year.
The board will revisit plans for School of Choice for the 2019-20 school year at a future meeting. Helber said there are eight School of Choice students enrolled this year. The student cap was 25, with at least one space open per grade level. The district hopes to open applications in April.
Upcoming dates:
There will be no school Feb. 15-18 for Presidents’ Weekend.
The next board meeting will be at 6:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 at South Meadows Elementary School, 355 Pierce St.
