|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Board of Education approves budget with 16 cent increase
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
By Andrew Kuehl
akuehl@kewaskumstatesman.com
KEWASKUM- The Kewaskum Board of Education voted to advance the district’s budget to the annual meeting being held August 27. Taxpayers will approve or deny the budget at that meeting. It reflects a 16-cent increase from the 06-07 budget in the tax rate.
Business manager Paul Reichert, explained the budget reflects a 4.2 percent increase in expenditures. A tax rate of $7.72 will be presented to the taxpayers.
Reichert stated the most notable portion of the budget is $615,000 in new staff and programs. Staff for the district will increase three full-time positions at a cost of $230,000.
The budget reflects $583,000 in reductions to help pay for almost all the increased staffing and programs. Reductions in staffing amounted to $535,000, a reduction of two-and-a-half full-time positions. The reductions were also achieved by the number of retiring teachers being replaced by new teachers lower on the salary schedule. $48,000 in school programs were also reduced or eliminated from the budget.
This left an increase of $32,000 in new money to pay for the additions. “We were successfully able to pay for those,” Reichert concluded.
The board had the option of approving the budget at that meeting or the upcoming June meeting. Board member Jean Goeden made a motion to accept the working budget as presented and add a stipend of $350 for all the volunteers in the district, and add $2,000 for the bowling team and the same for flag and dance team. Surprised, President John Kenworthy seconded the motion for discussion purposes.
Goeden then explained she felt the volunteers should receive $350 because of gas and time they are putting in. She explained she wanted this stipend to be given to each volunteer.
“If pay a volunteer $350, doesn’t that make that person not a volunteer? Would that not make that person a public employee and hence we have to go through statutes and they would then fall under the contract, would they not, once they be come paid?”
Goeden interjected she wanted to try it for a one year.
“But, we still would be paying someone as an employee for a year?” Kenworthy asked.
She thought it would be a good idea to try and boost volunteerism.
Bruce Braidigan stated that he agreed with Kenworthy, “A volunteer is a volunteer. When you start paying someone it takes away from being a volunteer. Either you want to volunteer from your heart and want to do something for your community or you want to get paid,” Braidigan stated.
Goeden’s motion failed. Following the failed motion, board member Mary Miller motioned to accept the budget without Goeden’s additions. It received a second by Bill Kesting.
A copy of the budget can be found by clicking the links below:
0056_001.pdf
0058_001.pdf
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
