School board approves 2018-19 budget of $11.8 million

Track and field construction on schedule by Patty Unruh The Gilpin County Board of Education met on Tuesday, June 5, at 7:00 p.m. for its final meeting of the 2017-18 school year. Members Craig Holmes, Brook Ramsey, Kersten Armstrong, and Steve Boulter were present; Sarah Swanson was absent. Superintendent David MacKenzie, Secretary to the Board Joni Schmidt, and Business Manager Terri Scharg were present. Prior to the meeting, at 6:30 p.m., there was a public forum on the proposed preliminary 2018-19 budget. No members of the public attended, but the forum was intended as a matter of transparency to provide the public with an opportunity to make comments and ask questions about the budget before the Board approved it. Congratulations and Celebrations Austin Boulter, a 2018 graduate of Gilpin High School, participated in the All-State eight-man All-Star football game held in Sterling recently. Board member Steve Boulter, Austin’s father, reported on the game. “It was a lot of fun, and a lot of people came up. There were two teams – North and South. Our district was on the North team, and we won 34-24. Austin got a lot of carries.” The high school graduation took place on May 19. Holmes said, “A lot of scholarship money was given out, nearly half a million dollars for a class of 23.” Graduate Jack Ball participated in the state track meet, finishing eighth in the 400-meter. “This was a special class,” Holmes remarked. “We had students go to state in football, track, and wrestling.” Budget Items The Board approved the following: The supplemental budget for fiscal year 2017-18 for $12,354,557 and the appropriation resolution in the same amount. The use of a portion of the beginning fund balance in the capital projects fund in the supplemental budget for fiscal year 2017-18 in the amount of $500,000, to be designated for capital improvements. The use of a portion of the beginning fund balance will not lead to an ongoing budget deficit. The use of the beginning fund balance/reserves in the supplemental budget in the general fund in the amount of $3,975,833 and in the food service fund in the amount of $19,145. The use of the beginning fund balance/reserves will not lead to an ongoing budget deficit. Gilpin County School does not plan to spend the appropriated reserves of $3,994,978, and the planned usage for that amount is actually anticipated to be carryover to the next fiscal year. The use of the beginning fund balance/reserves in the pupil activity agency fund in the supplemental budget for fiscal year 2017-18 in the amount of $106,412. The use of the beginning fund balance/reserves will not lead to an ongoing budget deficit. The June adopted budget for fiscal year 2018-19 for $11,853,149 and the appropriations resolution in the same amount. The use of the beginning fund balance/reserves in the general fund in the adopted June budget for fiscal year 2018-19 in the amount of $3,975,833. The use of the beginning fund balance/reserves will not lead to an ongoing budget deficit. It is understood that Gilpin County School District plans to spend $1,600,000 of the fund balance/reserves for capital improvements and maintain a fund balance of $2,375,833 to be carryover to the next fiscal year. The use of the beginning fund balance in the food service fund in the adopted June budget for fiscal year 2018-19 in the amount of $19,145. The use of a portion of the beginning fund balance will not lead to an ongoing budget deficit. Gilpin County School District does not plan to spend the appropriated reserves of $19,145, and the planned usage for that amount is anticipated to be carryover to the next fiscal year. The use of the beginning fund balance in the capital projects fund in the adopted June budget for fiscal year 2018-19 in the amount of $645,492. The use of a portion of the beginning fund balance will not lead to an ongoing budget deficit. Gilpin County School District does not plan to spend the appropriated reserves of $645,492, and the planned usage for that amount is anticipated to be carryover to the next fiscal year. The use of the beginning fund balance in the pupil activity agency fund in the adopted June budget for fiscal year 2018-19 in the amount of $106,412. The use of the beginning fund balance/reserves will not lead to an ongoing budget deficit. BOE Meetings for 2018-19 The Board approved its meeting calendar for the 2018-19 school year. Its first meeting will be on August 21, 2018, at 7:00 p.m. All meetings are held on the first and third Tuesday of each month. Posting locations are the Black Hawk Post Office, Central City Post Office, Central City Courthouse, the bulletin board outside of the Board of Education conference room, Gilpin County Library, Gilpin Community Center, and the Gilpin school website. The Board approved its action calendar for 2018-19, which enumerates items for the Board to consider during each meeting. DAC Annual Report MacKenzie presented the District Accountability Committee (DAC) report for 2017-18, in the absence of DAC chair Mary Sonsino. The charges given to the DAC for the year were Teacher and Principal Effectiveness Evaluation Model and Process (SB 191); Unified Improvement Plans for elementary, secondary, and the district; gifted and talented program delivery; nutrition and wellness; and district budget changes for the 2018-19 year. DAC added bullying review, preschool council, and Title I report. MacKenzie said DAC meetings are open to the public and are announced on the school’s website and in the newspaper. Policies The Board approved policies on second reading, including those on staff conduct, professional staff recruiting and hiring, health and family life-sex education, admission and denial of admission, intra-district choice/open enrollment, immunization of students, parent involvement, community use of school facilities, and several others. Policies repealed included those on taxing and borrowing, emergency management plan, student conduct on school buses, and several others. MacKenzie has been cleaning up the District’s policy manual. There are still 167 policies to be updated, either with just legal reference changes or more substantial revisions. Some of the policies date back ten years or more, and he plans to look back over old agendas and see if Board updates coincide with CASB updates. Site Improvement Update MacKenzie reported on the construction meeting that was held June 5. The contractor, Hellas Construction, is confident that the project will be on time and on budget. Current work includes putting down a drainage liner before the turf arrives in a week or so. Trenching was done off the scoreboard, where an electric console will be installed. The stadium lights will be LED’s, which Holmes noted are energy efficient and expected to last 20+ years. There is still curving and all of the interior to do. MacKenzie said space is tight on the bleacher side, but the school’s current bleachers will fit. He will meet with the fence contractor in about two weeks, remarking that the contractor plans to donate some labor. There is also room for the middle school or high school teams to practice while the other team is holding a game. The concession stand will be placed back toward the northeast corner of a light pole. An electrical tap will go there and up to the press box. Generator United Power is to hold a site visit on June 14 to discuss a generator. The meeting will include Homeland Security, Sgt. Kevin Armstrong of the Gilpin County Sheriff’s Office, and United Power. MacKenzie said, “We’ve been talking about a generator for many years. It’s a cost advantage to United Power, because the school is at the end of the line. With a generator, we won’t have to use peak demand time. United Power can backload their grid, which will save us money.” Holmes added, “We’ll go from four meters to one meter, which will save thousands each month.” A generator would enable the school to be a Red Cross facility. It would also have electricity and Internet and be able to maintain school operations in case of an outage. The District still has the grant Sgt. Armstrong obtained for connecting. Promises Made, Promises Kept A brochure has been printed for public distribution detailing the progress that the Gilpin School District has made during the past year. The brochure will be inserted in upcoming issues of the Weekly Register-Call and The Mountain Ear , and spare copies will be placed in various locations around the county. Executive Session The Board adjourned the public session of the meeting at 7:45 p.m. to go into executive session on personnel matters. First Meeting of 2018-19 The June 5 meeting concluded Board sessions for the 2017-18 year. The first meeting of the new school year will be held on Tuesday, August 21, at 7:00 p.m.

School board approves 2018-19 budget of $11.8 million

Patrick Henry Sweeney

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