Monday’s meeting of
the Duneland School Board included a public hearing on the proposed 2017
budget for the Duneland Schools which concluded without any audience member
speaking.
Duneland’s Chief
Financial Officer Lynn Kwilasz did explain the different parts of the budget
which includes the levy-capped funds for bus replacement and capital
projects.
The total amount
advertised for the overall budget is $67.4 million which is roughly a 1.5
percent increase over 2016’s figure.
Next year, Duneland
will have paid off its pension bonds. Currently both the Transportation and
Capital Project Funds are used to neutralize the debt. That means the two
are expected to receive $600,000 each next year, Kwilasz said.
The General Fund,
which is funded by the state’s tuition formula, is advertised at $37.3
million. Kwilasz said the state’s foundation amount, or the minimum funding
for public school corporations to receive, in 2017 will be $5,888 per
student. That is a $121 increase over the previous year, she said.
The more students a
school district has, the more funding it will receive. The average daily
membership fall count in the state will be on Friday.
Referendum
Lastly, the
referendum fund is advertised at 22.4 cents per $100 of assessed valuation,
a bloated rate so the school can receive all of the revenues possible at the
rate of 22 cents per $100 assessed valuation decided by the voters in the
2012 referendum election.
Kwilasz said the
referendum helps pay the salaries of 117 personnel currently, as well as
sustaining extra-curricular programs, technology integration, nurses, media
specialists, high ability aides, lunch and recess aides, utilities and
equipment for the WDSO radio station.
The referendum is
in place for a total of seven years and will expire in 2020 unless a public
vote is taken in 2019 to continue it for another length of time.
Superintendent of
Schools David Pruis said he expects the school district will start
campaigning for the next referendum in 2017.
Trail Bound to
Michigan Woods
In other business
Monday, the board approved the 18th annual Trail Bound trip for Chesterton
High School students.
Next June, CHS
Social Studies teacher Bob DeRuntz will take a group of students to the
north woods of Michigan. Sites planned for the trip include the Pictured
Rocks National Lakeshore in the Upper Peninsula where participants will
kayak and hike.
The group will also
visit Mackinac Island and tour historic sites and colonial settlements. Next
the group will travel to Lake Huron and cross into Canada to attend a play
at the Stratford Ontario Shakespeare Festival. Finishing the trip will be a
visit to the Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village in Dearborn.
The class will
start with in-class study on June 8 and June 9. The actual trip will be from
June 11-18.
Applications are
due Friday, Oct. 28. A physical test for applicants will be given on
Tuesday, Nov. 1.
Total cost per
student is $760 which includes tuition, food and registration fees.
Projects
Director of Support
Services Greg Lindy reported that all summer facility projects have been
completed except for a few punch list items.
Since the last
board meeting, Lindy said the new entrance with extra security functions at
CHS is “totally done.” Principal Jeff Van Drie said Assistant Superintendent
of Instruction Jim Goetz agreed that “it is working really, really well.”
Work on the tennis
courts has also wrapped up, Lindy said. The new band tower has been erected
and lights will be put up soon.
Lindy said he will
be back next board meeting with change orders but the facilities work will
come in under budget, about $500 to be exact.
“We’ll take it,”
said Board President Kristin Kroeger. She encouraged Lindy to start looking
at what needs to be done for Summer 2017.