By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post
The Hays USD 489 school board approved its 2020 budget Monday night after a brief budget hearing.
The $52 million budget is up from last school year’s budget, which was $43.9 million. The budget includes an increase in state funding and a slight decrease in the mill levy, which Keith Hall, interim director of finance, attributed to an increase in the district’s assessed valuation.
The total mill levy for 2019-20 will be 42.116 mills, which is down from last year’s 42.792 mills. The capital outlay mill levy remains at 8 mills.
Hall said the district hopes to increase salaries this year and increase cash balances in some of its funds. However, the school board has yet to complete negotiations with the district’s teachers union.
“You can see the state came through with the increase funds they have been talking about in the general fund … Surprisingly with the transfers we would like to make for our cash balances in some of our funds as well as possible salary increases, the additional funds, which we are certainly delighted to have and receive, do not go as far as one would think,” Hall said.
State revenue is estimated to increase by about $3.5 million this year. The final number will be based on enrollment, which will be recorded in September. Superintendent Ron Wilson told the commission Monday night the district is estimating enrollment at about 3,000 students based on the number of enrollment forms that have been turned in to date.
Federal revenue was up by more than $3 million, but that included the $1.47 million federal grant the district received to remodel the Oak Park Complex for use by Early Childhood Connections. ECC moved into all but one of the buildings this summer, and classes started in the new facility this week.
The Recreation Commission mill levy, which is run through the school district, was reduced from what was published. Instead of 1.418 mills., the rec mill levy will be .707 mills.
Before approving the budget, the hearing was opened to any comments from the public. No comments were offered.
Storm cleanup help
They also recognized members of the custodial crew who worked late Tuesday night and over the weekend to clean up after the storms.
Learning Center moved
The Learning Center has temporarily moved its classes to the former Washington school. The area that the center uses in the basement of Rockwell Administration Center was flooded Tuesday night and again over the weekend. Wilson said three inches of water was standing in the basement.
He said the district will be working on a tuck pointing project in attempts to keep the water out of that area. Until the district can ensure the area will stay dry, students will meet at Washington. That school was recently vacated when ECC moved to its new home at the remodeled Oak Park Complex on 13th Street.
In other business, the board:
- Heard a report on board president appointments
- Heard a presentation on a new district investment strategy from representatives of Commerce Bank. The district is now invested in ladder CDs. The district hopes to net as much as $79,713 per year through the new strategy.
- Heard a report on professional development from Marie Henderson and Kyle Carlin
- Heard a report form Chris Hipp on the special education cooperative