Business Manager Aaron Giese reported to the school board moving money for specific funds from Iowa Schools Joint Investment (ISJIT) to Security State Bank as of July 11, 2023. SSB is paying “about a half a percent more than ISJIT is right now, so we decided it was prudent to move back there,” stated Giese.
Beth Siebernaller-Woodall asked about the spending of summer projects. Giese responded they were moving forward and current through FY23. She also asked about getting the student activity fund balance down. Superintendent Wade Riley interjected that Mr. Reichle has been doing a good job getting the balance down. He explained that there were big purchases for uniforms to bring down the balance.
Giese addressed the large spending for Special Education open enrolled out. After state calculations it was determined that there are several students with high cost education enrolled at area school districts. These costs account for much of the large open enrollment costs reported in July.
Several fees were reported for the summer projects such as the bathroom project, door replacement and ongoing engineering costs. The restrooms in the high school near the west gym have been undergoing a complete overhaul which included new plumbing, floor, wallcovering, fixtures and dividers. It was reported that the bathrooms and door projects are well underway. Riley reported that FEH, the architectural firm leading the SOS construction project has assigned a partner to the SOS project fulltime.
The new refrigerator and freezer in the Primghar kitchen is nearly complete. They are waiting for a few pieces to have them up and running which is expected the first week of August.
Riley reported, “We need to renew our revenue purpose statement here at South O’Brien.” The revenue purpose statement is the continuation of the SAVE program in the state of Iowa. SAVE is a statewide sales tax and has nothing to do with the local property tax levy. One has no effect on the other. Riley went on to report that the SOS district has approved its SAVE use through 2031. He went on to say that the district would benefit by extending its SAVE purpose statement through 2051. Doing so would give the district a better bond rating and allow additional projects by using those funds.The state legislature approved SAVE through 2051 back in 2018. South O’Brien had not renewed yet, which limited the district’s bonding ability.
Instructor activity begins August 1. Elementary open house is August 21 from 4:00 to 6:00pm and from 5:00 to 7:00pm at the JH/HS. August 23 is the first day of school.
Each even year the district considers updates to its small fleet. Money is budgeted annually for vehicle replacement. Up to $80,000 is available for use this year. Riley reported that the need for a new pickup is strong. Two very basic models were looked at and available, a 2023 Ford Super Duty diesel for $56,720.00 and a 2024 Chevy Silverado 2500HD gasoline powered crew cab for $54.810.00. The pickup is used regularly for maintenance of all kinds. It was described as making several daily trips between Paullina and Primghar. Trailers are pulled with the pickup from time to time. Both have comparable warranties. After much discussion and comparison the board approved the purchase of the Chevy which is 1 year newer and $1900 cheaper.
Late November approval of free kids’ breakfasts reached about 15,000 through the year. One of very few ways the school could spend ESSER II funds. Funds remain available and it was approved again to offer free breakfast for students. These funds are recommended to keep a 3-month operating expense in the Nutrition account. Giese reported that he is working with the state to find ways to get the balance down. Free breakfasts for students for the entire coming school year was approved.
Mr. Riley provided to the school board options to purchase and install a ceiling projector and automatic screen rather than using the portable cart for big presentations. The board compared bids submitted by Mid States Audio and Video and Carey’s Electronics. The bids ranged from $17,000 to more than $22.000. The details of where and how the suggestion would be implemented. Discussion revolved around the coming improvements to the gym and if this “nice to have” item is an appropriate project at this time. The board determined to take no action.
Bus driver physical bids were reviewed. Dr. Tim Aberson’s bid was approved.
The Iowa Association of legislative priorities selected by the district are: Mental Helath, School Safety, Teacher Professional Development and Retention, and Student Achievement as their 2024 school year.
The final discussion topic was to offer free activity passes for students in grades 7-12. Riley reported that some districts in the area are making that offer. Riley explained that revenue to the district from the sale of activity passes is approximately $6000. He further explained that the is in conversations with the Booster clubs to offset those costs to the districts. He explained the concept that the boosters make a lot of money from the concession stand sales at events. The idea is to get the students to the activities to maintain or increase the concession sales. He said that 1 of the 2 booster clubs had already agreed to support the project with $3000. He was waiting for the second group to make a decision. K-6 passes were discussed with some board members supporting, but in the end K-6 was not part of this benefit. Riley suggested that this be a test year. No action was taken. No action is required. It is not a spending issue and the revenue is replaced. There was no comparison discussion of spending $11,000 for 1 day a week junior high basketball practice practice.
After approving new staff, Riley reported that the district has no open job positions. He was also asked about the effect on enrollment from the private school funding. Riley doesn’t have a figure at this time on South O’Brien but doesn’t think there will be an overly dramatic effect.