Unit 40 school board approves district budget

Sep. 28—EFFINGHAM — The Effingham Unit 40 school board has approved the district's budget for the 2024 fiscal year.

The board voted unanimously to approve the proposed budget Monday after holding a public hearing on the matter during which no comments or objections were made by members of the board of the public.

During the board's previous regular meeting on Aug. 21, board members heard from Effingham Unit 40 Assistant Superintendent Kelsey Baker, who provided them with a summary of the district's tentative budget for the 2024 fiscal year.

Baker said the 2024 fiscal year budget includes increased salaries for certified and non-certified staff, the addition of five new staff members, textbook adoption costs and a general increase in operating costs.

During the same August meeting, Baker said the district anticipates its Education Fund to have a deficit of $712,516 and an ending fund balance of nearly $12.5 million at the end of the 2024 fiscal year.

"We have added some contingency funds for some unforeseen issues," Baker said during the board's meeting in August. "Discretionary spending will be closely monitored."

The district expects its Operations and Maintenance Fund to have a deficit of $239,584 with an ending fund balance of $1,008,194 at the end of the 2024 fiscal year.

"Some of the major items contributing to this fund are salary increases, the ENTEC control update, the South Side renovation, the ELC parking lot and an increased operating cost," Baker said in August.

Baker also said the district should expect a Transportation Fund deficit of $17,961.

"The fund balance at the end of the fiscal year is anticipated to be $3,915,240," she said.

According to Baker, the primary contributors to this fund's expenditures are the 10 buses and one special education bus leased by the district, as well as the purchase of two vans and one maintenance truck.

Also during the board's August meeting, Baker said the district's Bond and Interest Fund is expected to show an increase of $1,000 in the 2024 fiscal year, leading to an estimated ending fund balance of $165,207, while the district's Municipal Retirement Fund will show an estimated deficit of $471,953 in the 2024 fiscal year with an expected ending fund balance of $346,944.

"Contributing to this loss is the increase in non-certified staff," Baker said regarding the district's Municipal Retirement Fund.

Additionally, Baker said the district's Tort Fund will show an estimated deficit of $449,243 in the 2024 fiscal year with an expected ending fund balance of $331,009, and the district's Health and Life Safety Fund with show an estimated deficit of $299,742 with an expected ending fund balance of $358,964.

"This deficit is related to the implementation of the new risk management plant," Baker said regarding the district's Tort Fund.

Baker said some of the expenditures contributing to the deficit in the Health and Life Safety Fund are the new windows and doors, which were $461,880, at South Side School, as well as the asbestos abatement at the school for $13,800.

The district's Working Cash Fund is expected to show a deficit of $367,951 with an estimated ending fund balance of $2,454,896 for the 2024 fiscal year.

Just prior to the board's approval of the finalized budget during its September meeting, Baker told members a difference of $3,000 has been added to the district's Education Fund because it had to reclassify its copier lease, and she noted that another change had to be made to the district's Operations and Maintenance Fund.

"There were no major changes," Baker said Monday. "We had to reclassify the funds from the maintenance grant, which we used to replace the central roof. And there's contingency funds in the budget as well."

Also during the board's meeting Monday, members voted unanimously to approve the implementation of girls and boys basketball teams for the district's fifth and sixth grade students.

"We're approving the program. Next we'll be hiring coaches," Effingham Unit 40 Board President Jill Wendling said. "The cost of the program will be supported by the Unit 40 district budget and a donation from the sports backers."

Members also approved a memorandum of understanding with the Effingham Classroom Teachers Association for coaches for each of the four basketball teams for the 2023-24 school year.

In other matters, board members approved the purchase of two used 2022 Chrysler Voyager LXs and a 2022 Ford Edge for a combined cost of approximately $80,000 after subtracting the revenue from the 2015 Dodge Caravan, 2016 Dodge Grand Caravan and 2015 Ford Taurus the district is trading in.

Meanwhile, Wendling announced that applications for the Effingham Unit 40 Teacher Grant should now be available online for any interested teachers.

In other matters, the board:

—Approved the district's crisis plan for the 2024 fiscal year.

—Approved the job description for the Little Hearts Early Childhood Center Administrative Assistant.

—Approved Katie Klosterman as the director of the Effingham Unit 40 Foundation.

—Approved the employment of the following: Cailin Gilpin, paraprofessional; Brittney Lindsey, paraprofessional; Miranda Burk, paraprofessional; Brittany Howard, Little Hearts Early Childhood Center teacher assistant; Lauren Blackwell, Little Hearts Early Childhood Center teacher assistant; Alicia Winskill, mentor facilitator at Effingham Junior High School; Terry Chapman, lunchroom supervisor at Central Grade School; Dustin Nickles, Effingham High School freshmen and sophomore boys basketball team coach.

—Approved the following appointments: Jean Cornell, Effingham High School prom sponsor; Ty Totten, freshmen class sponsor; Norene Ault, sophomore class sponsor; Melissa Habing, junior class sponsor and Effingham High School's assistant Scholar Bowl coach; Lynsie Hoffman, Effingham Junior High School Student Council Co-Sponsor.

—Approved the transfer of Jason Warner as head custodian at Effingham High School.

—Approved leaves of absence for Chelsea Painter, Nicole Whetstone, Nancy McClelland and Judy Wall.

—Approved Family and Medical Leave for Destiny Marxmann, Tara Raddatz, Michaela Lustig, Shannon Hall-Nannini, Kristyn Bowman, Makayla Poe, Lindsay Westendorf and Heather Martin.

—Approved the resignations of custodian Brycelyn Simmons, Little Hearts Early Childhood Center Lead Instructor Amanda Hudspath and Little Hearts Early Childhood Center Teacher Assistants Rachelle Childress and Brittany Howard.

—Approved the retirement of custodian Tina Haarmann.

Nick Taylor can be reached at nick.taylor@effinghamdailynews.com or by phone at 618-510-9226 or 217-347-7151 ext. 300132.