The Amite County School District finished its 2007-08 fiscal year with a fund balance of more than $3 million, the district’s business manager told school board members Thursday.
Business manager Sheri Jones told the board during its Thursday afternoon meeting that the district’s amended 2007-08 budget included a $3.2 million fund balance — a major change from five years ago, when the district was $3 million in debt and under a state-appointed financial advisor.
Jones said the $3 million debt, which was comprised of 16th Section land account loans, has been reduced to $1.038.
“We’ve come a long way,” board president Jimmy Burns said.
Jones, however, cautioned the board that it will have to be careful with the extra money.
“We did well last year; I hope this year goes as well,” Jones said. “I want to be able to discuss what to do with the money, but we’ll have to hold on to some of it because of potential revenue loss in the coming years.”
The school district’s 2008-09 $9.5 million budget is $198,584 less than the 2007-08 $9.7 million budget, and will spend $9.48 million for operation and maintenance. The majority of that cost — $5.59 million — is salaries.
And the district is losing $445,177 in revenue from the previous fiscal year, including $210,979 in Mississippi Adequate Education Program funds because of declining enrollment.
The district’s MAEP revenue was helped in the current fiscal year by $100,000 in “hold harmless money” because of Hurricane Katrina, but Jones said those funds were not renewed.
School officials said the district will lose $234,198 in federal funds because Congress has not yet renewed the federal Secure Rural Schools and Security Self-Determination Act, which reimburses counties that have national forests inside their boundaries.
The Homochitto National Forest goes through Amite County.
Superintendent Debbie Hopf said she did not believe the county would receive the money this year.
The board members increased the school district millage by 1.4-mills to 27.3 mills, which is expected to generate $2.3 million. The millage is expected to offset the loss of the MAEP and federal funds.
In other action, the board:
• Heard a presentation from Stella Russ on the Collaborative Action Team, a program to bring the community, parents, children and school officials together to solve problems in the district.
• Allowed the TNT Youth Football League to use the Amite County High School football field on two Saturdays for football games, pending proof of insurance. The decision came after a presentation by program president Chris Dillon.
• Accepted the resignations of Kathy Cassels, a teaching assistant at Gloster Elementary School, and Shannon Johnson, a library assistant at Gloster.
• Hired the 12-member Save the Children staff.
• Approved junior high volunteer coaches Woran Griffin, James Harness, TraKendrick Howard, Robert Hardy and George Tobias.
• Hired Jessie Darden and Booker Powell, substitute teachers (district-wide); Justin Dixon and Jerry Cain, bus drivers; Verlicia Robinson, inclusion teacher/interim license (district-wide); Patsy Prater, library teacher assistant at Gloster Elementary; America Reads tutors Tiffany Holmes and Rosia Montgomery, Gloster Elementary, and Shimeka Rogers, Liberty Elementary; Jacqueline Turner, kindergarten teaching assistant at Gloster Elementary; David Dixon, part-time transportation director; Amelia Nash, community intervention/dropout prevention director (district-wide); 36 workers for the school district’s extended day program — 13 at Gloster Elementary, 12 at Liberty Elementary, and 12 America Reads tutors; coaches Shaun Handy, girls basketball, Byron Garner, boys basketball, and Sedric Cane, football.
• Eliminated the Save the Children position held by Janet Williams because of loss of funding.
• Approved a 16th Section farm-residential lease.
• Approved the transfer of two students from Amite County to the North Pike School District.
• Approved the transfer of a washer and dryer from special education to the culinary arts department at the vocational center.
• Approved a $2,000 annual supplement for adult basic education program director Sandra Huff.
• Authorized Hopf to negotiate a contract with Hydrocarbon Engineering Processing Inc. of Natchez to purchase the school district’s used oil.
• Renewed the school district’s errors and omissions insurance with Liberty Insurance Co. of Liberty. The annual premium is $9,268, which Jones said was a decrease from last year’s premium.
• Renewed the district’s unemployment compensation insurance through the Mississippi School Boards Association for $70,000, which Jones was was a decrease from last year.
• Accepted a $4,538 settlement from Denbury Resources for damages from a pipeline right of way on 16th Section land north of Liberty.director (district-wide); 36 workers for the school district’s extended day program — 13 at Gloster Elementary, 12 at Liberty Elementary, and 12 America Reads tutors; approved three coaches: Shaun Handy — girls basketball, Byron Garner — boys basketball, and Sedric Cane — football.
• Abolished the Save the Children position held by Janet Williams because of loss of funding.
• Approved a farm residential lease on 16th Section land south of Liberty.
• Approved the transfer of two students from Amite County to the North Pike School District.
• Approved the transfer of a washer and dryer from special education to the culinary arts department at the vocational center.
• Approved a $2,000 annual supplement for adult basic education program director Sandra Huff.
• Authorized Hopf to negotiate a contract with Hydrocarbon Engineering Processing Inc. of Natchez to purchase the school district’s used oil.
• Renewed the school district’s errors and omissions insurance with Liberty Insurance Co. of Liberty. The annual premium is $9,268, which Jones said was a decrease from last year’s premium.
• Renewed the district’s unemployment compensation insurance through the Mississippi School Boards Association for $70,000, which Jones was was a decrease from last year.
• Accepted a $4,538 settlement from Denbury Resources for damages from a pipeline right of way on 16th Section land north of Liberty.
