WS school board talks tight budget

The Willow Springs School Board discussed possible budget cuts over the next few years during their October 14 meeting. The sources of decreased funding are varied, and the superintendent did give information on Amendment 2 during the meeting. 

 

Superintendent Dr. Marty Spence presented the budget issues. He said the reason that the unrestricted fund balance is down is due to three things: post-COVID salaries, school enrollment down by over 100 students leading to lower DESE ADA payments, and financial thresholds changed this year, including a significantly lower number of special education enrollments. Dr. Spence gave information showing the percentage of the unrestricted fund balance over the last two decades. The problems come up in the last five years, with FY21 meeting the 20% goal, FY22 exceeding that goal to 27.51% due to COVID-era funding, and the percentage dropping in FY23 to 19.85% and 17.23% in FY24. In this, one percent equals roughly $150,000.

 

The school is developing a two-to-three-year timeline aiming to save money. The suggestions from the superintendent include no bus purchases or leases for FY25, postponement of the B Building roofing project, audit staff positions when they open, a conservative daily operating budget, and decreasing building budgets by ten percent. He also said that the FY26 budget will allow step movements, but no raises. Dr. Spence also mentioned Amendment 2 on sports betting and shared what he learned from other school leaders. “They're selling it like it is going to be a big help to public schools. We're not going to see... It will be very, very little if we see any of that money.” Spence did say to vote your conscience. 

 

In some good news, in the CTE update, Innovation Hall is now completely operational. Opportunity Hall is now the focus. The agriculture department is operational with finishing details remaining. The shop portion should be operational by early second semester. Work has also begun on the new FACS facility in the lower level of Opportunity Hall with demolition work help coming from the carpentry and intro carpentry students. Enrollment in these programs were also discussed and there are movements being made to remove scheduling conflicts. There are also students becoming more interested in the CTE programs, and the school's goal is to encourage this. 

 

The school board heard from building leaders. Increasing reading scores remains a top priority, especially among the elementary and middle schools. The elementary school will be sending some teachers to a reading conference in that effort. The middle school celebrated its 100-year anniversary on Oct. 18, and students will be participating in events throughout the year to learn about the building and local people who attended. 

 

An “emergency” meeting of the school board took place on October 15 for the purposes of student discipline. Notice of the 5:30 p.m. meeting was published at approximately 12:30 p.m., far short of the usual 24-hour deadline. Missouri law allows for meetings to be noticed with less than 24 hours' notice if, "the nature of the good cause justifying that departure from the normal requirements shall be stated in the minutes."

The published minutes read only “student discipline,” but the school commented upon inquiry from the News, “new information (non-school safety related) has been found regarding a decision over student discipline last night. The board needs to meet to clarify the decision before notices go out to families involved.”