USD 235 board gets time line for school bond issue project

USD 235 Board of Education members got their work done in 30 minutes Monday night during their monthly meeting.

Superintendent Randy Rockhold spent some time to lay out his plan for the facility improvement project that was approved in April's bond election.

"In September, Trane will come and give you their final hard bid," Rockhold said.

The Trane Company, Wichita is the general contractor for the project.

"In October, A-Lert (Roof Sytems, Erie) will give their final bid," he said. "In November the board will approve people as contractors."

Piper Jaffray, Wichita, is the bond counsel and underwriter for the project.

"The bond people ran all our numbers and all our bids," Rockhold said. "(They) will be in our meeting in December to make a presentation which tells you what the bond rate will be on that given date. We can sell our bonds in February. The revenue will be in hand by March. They will start on the project the last week of May. They will complete the roof and HVAC on this side of the street and the (West Bourbon Elementary School) gym next summer. They feel like they could be done by the last week in August."

Rockhold told The Tribune the district had budgeted $90,000 in capital outlay for the WBE gym air conditioning.

"The bond project will pay for the HVAC project at WBE and will therefore free up the capital outlay funds for other needs," Rockhold said. "We no longer have the district's resources dedicated to a specific purpose so we can use it for any need as identified by the board of education."

That freed-up $90,000 will give the project some cushion, in addition to the contractors built-in cushions, Rockhold told the board.

"If there are overages," Rockhold said. "Trane said they had a 10 percent cushion built-in their bid, that's $150,000. A-Lert said they had a three to five percent cushion there also, which helps as well. We also planned on subsidizing the bond of interest with our gift money from Abernathy. We won't have to do that. (This) sets our district up with positive opportunities in the future."

End of year transfers

Rockhold said as of Monday, $36,400 will be transferred to the district's contingency fund.

"That is a little more than we thought we were going to have," Rockhold said. "But keep in mind, we're going to have a $10,000 smaller carry over in LOB (Local Option Budget) as local revenue next year, so we don't have a mill levy increase. The remainder to be used in funding for next year."

New principal

Newly hired West Bourbon Elementary School Principal Tyler Jackman attended his first board meeting Monday as an observer.

After his contract begins, Jackman will attend the July meeting with recommendations for vacancies for two teachers aides and a cook for the elementary building, if possible, Rockhold said. Randi Atkins resigned as cook on May 30. The unfilled aide positions are for preschool and first grade.

Tax break for school vouchers

Board President Matthew Wood asked Rockhold if there were any state level issues to talk about.

"The thing that worries me is they are going to do another tax break or a voucher," Rockhold said. "The tax package the senate passed contains an $8,000 tax break to anyone that will pay for private school tuition. It used to be for a student with an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) and socio-economic combined, but now they took all those criteria away. I don't think vouchers are a healthy thing for public schools. I'm hoping that won't be a part of the bill that's passed, but it is embedded into the tax plan."

In other business the board:

* Approved bills on the May 2015 check register.

* Approved membership in the National School Food Service Program for 2015-16.

* Appointed Rockhold as school lunch representative and hearing officer for free and reduced lunch appeals for 2015-16.

* Authorized the board clerk to destroy records from 2010 for WBE activity and petty cash, bank statements and cancelled checks; meal tracker daily records, lunch financial records, BOE purchase orders and invoices and 2001-04 attendance records.

* Approved the property, liability and work compensation insurance bid of $84,455 through Billiard, Hammer and Hartman of Fort Scott.

* Approved the purchase of three Ford Transport vehicles with seating for 10 people.