The Lowndes County School District board of trustees discovered their finances are strong at Friday’s meeting.
LCSD accountant Brent Ballard gave the board the audit report from fiscal year 2014. He said the district had a good report and a $8.6 million balance in the general fund.
“Really, you have a positive, healthy fund balance,” Ballard said. “You’re in excess of where you need to be fulfilling the requirement of the (Mississippi Department of Education) 7 percent of general fund balance.”
The district balance is also above its own mandated 15 percent of the general fund.
In fiscal year 2015, Ballard said a new, per-student liability will be placed on school districts nationwide that will put most school districts into the red. He said of 46 audits his firm performed for school districts in fiscal year 2014, LCSD, because of its financial security, is among four districts that would not be faced with a negative fund balance. Construction projects and new tax revenues from local business help keep the district in good shape, Ballard said.
LCSD business manager Lotis Johnson told the board the district has 32 vacant posts to fill before next school year. She said 21 of those are “true vacant seats” while the 11 remaining vacancies are district employees who need their teaching license renewed this summer.
Johnson said LCSD is receiving its highest ever total in funding from the Mississippi Adequate Education Program. The legislature approved $22.66 million for LCSD in FY15 — an increase of $1.5 million from last year, Johnson said.
She said the district has $46.5 million in expenditures and $47.6 million in revenue as of this month — up $1.1 million.
LCSD is looking at a $1.78 million increase in spending next year, largely due to salary increases, Johnson said.
The board said it wanted to hold a work session to discuss salaries and budgeting this month, as well as how many tech officers will be hired for next year.
A date for that meeting was not determined Friday.
Charging for try-outs prohibited
The board of trustees unanimously voted that New Hope Middle School cannot charge perspective student athletes for trying out for a team.
New Hope Middle School asked the board for permission to charge $5 to girls wanting to try-out for the dance team. Principal Sam Allison said it had been common practice in years past, and was likely common throughout other county schools. He said he wanted to do the right thing, and make sure it was OK with the board. It wasn’t.
“You can’t just assess fees as a public school without providing a reason,” district attorney Jeff Smith said.
Teachers, parents receive awards
The district recognized five teachers who have earned the title of National Board Certified Teachers.
Heather Chatwick, of Caledonia Elementary School; Celeste Gilles of New Hope Middle School; Melissa Holly of Caledonia Middle School; and Anne Richardson and Norma Sanders of Caledonia High School, were all recognized for their accomplishment. Assistant superintendent Dr. Robin Ballard, who is a National Board Certified Teacher herself, said it is a year-long process to become certified. Teachers must submit video of their classroom in action.
“You submit your material, and you sit back and pray,” Ballard said. “It’s a very in-depth process. Whether you succeed or not, you come out a better teacher.”
She said the district now has around 50 National Board Certified Teachers.
Three LCSD schools won PREPS Value Added awards for the 2013-2014 school year. The PREPS award recognizes schools for achieving beyond their socio-economic background. It analyzes a school’s standardized test scores while accounting for the economic background of school attendees. Caledonia Elementary won the award for its performance in the MCT2 Language Arts test. Caledonia Middle School and New Hope Middle school won for the SATP2 Algebra 1 test.
West Lowndes Middle School was recognized as a Title 1 Distinguished School by the Office of Federal Programs. WLMS received a grant of $23,759 for its distinguished status, to be used as the school sees fit.
LCSD named Amy Summerall its Parent of the Year. Summerall has a daughter at Caledonia Elementary School. She helps with testing, chaperoning field trips and reading to students. This year, Summerall served as the vice president of the CES PTO and made every student in her daughter’s first grade class a scrapbook.
Tawanda Banks, whose sons attend New Hope High School; LaShonda Brooks, whose three children attend West Lowndes schools; and Tim Soule, whose grandson attends Caledonia High School, were also recognized for their dedication.
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