WS schools set to build reserves, exceeding target

In a district rocked by financial crisis, the Willow Springs R-IV school board heard an encouraging update at their July 13 meeting. After a year of budget cuts and drastic staff reductions, the district is on target to put more than $632,000 in reserves. The annual audit of the district takes place July 20, and these numbers will be finalized after press time. Tentatively, the reserve balance will be in the “mid-seven-percent,” superintendent Dr. Jon Johnson told the board, which he called, “a huge win.”

 

In budget discussions of recent months, the goal has been described as balancing the budget and watching revenue collections closely. There was no mention of adding to reserves this year. 

 

Fiscal year-end numbers show actual revenues of $16.06 million, compared to expenses of $15.06 million. With $371,120 headed to Fund 4, more than half a million dollars will be saved as reserves. As previously reported by Howell County News, the district had been on a three-year-long trend of depleting reserves. 

 

The key was curtailing expenses, Johnson said. “That was the difference-maker.”

 

Johnson began his official duties as superintendent on July 1. This was his first board meeting as the highest official on campus. As part of the business of the meeting, he was designated the district’s custodian of records. To reflect staff and school board changes, Martin Spence, Malcom Gum, Jaime Bryan and Amanda Scarbrough were removed  from all financial accounts, Jon Johnson, Roger Shanks, Alicen Haugsted and Jennifer Owens were added. 

 

A couple procedural changes were discussed or implemented this meeting. Monthly budget summaries, also called general ledger reports, as well as all other consent agenda items are to be discussed and voted upon individually, instead of with a blanket vote. Board members had specific questions about monthly spending reports, namely: spending at Discovery School and board contributions to retirement accounts of non-vested employees. 

 

At the conclusion of the meeting, board president Roger Shanks announced that, pursuant to advice received at a recent Missouri School Board Association (MSBA) training, any guest comments at meetings will no longer be live-streamed. This decision is to protect the district from liability, Shanks said. The commentary will be in open session but will not be streamed from the district’s YouTube. 

 

“I’m all for transparency, but sometimes we’ve got to listen to the lawyers,” Shanks explained. 

 

In staff changes, Paden Turnbull was unanimously approved as School Resource Officer for the upcoming school year. 

 

In other business: 

-Technology Director Issac Beavers gave an update on a purchase of Blocksi, and Johnson announced his intention to hire contract labor to assist with the duties of the technology department, which has been reduced from two to one employees. 

-Johnson presented two versions of the PTO payout policy for the board to consider, with a vote expected at an upcoming meeting. 

-The board voted to update local policies to accord with MSBA-suggested updates. 

_The board approved the district credit card plan and an update to district purchasing policies. 

-Extra duty stipends were approved for the upcoming school year, with Brendan Wilson abstaining from votes pertaining to Megan Wilson and Lindsey Schwalm.