The Red Ace School Year is in Full Swing

           Since we don’t publish a monthly newsletter and we keep an active district web-site available for our patrons I will attempt to provide our readers with a quarterly overview of the operation of our district. One of the questions that has been posed early this year is where we stand as far as student growth.
As we look at our calendars we realize that school has been in session six weeks and we had the official count day on Monday, September 21st. Will the Red Aces see a few more students in our hallways is the question? As of the 21st , we are seeing an increase in student population. If these numbers hold true by October 5th and the state auditor approves our increase, we could republish the general fund budget. The district will see if the state auditor approves the additional 8.5 students. This gain has been spread out over grades pre k-12. Our non-audited head count stands at 271.4 students. This number is from pre-school through the 12th grade. The FTE (Full Time Equivalent) stands at 244.4 FTE. The FTE numbers are how the state department funds districts. The district receives $4,218.00 per pupil plus some additional weighting such as: transportation, At-Risk, Special Education, and low correlated weighting. The formula for the low correlated weighting provides our district an additional 154.3 FTE in addition to our base FTE of 244.4 students. With all the additional state weightings the district is funded on approximately 517.3 students. This state unaudited number is multiplied by $4,218.00 (Base Per-Pupil amount set by the legislature) and provides us a General Fund of $2,181,971.00 to fund and operate the district. The district also must use the Supplemental General Fund of $551,102.00 to meet its obligations. As you can see even a slight increase in the student FTE fiscally benefits our district and loss of students impacts us negatively.
When we discuss our obligations, we must realize that eighty percent of our General Fund budget is employee salaries and benefits. Our dedicated teaching force accounts for forty-three percent of the budget, twenty-five percent of the budget funds our secretaries, cooks, bus drivers, and four district teachers’ aides. The remaining twelve percent is spent on the building and district administration. This leaves us twenty percent of the General Fund to cover the transfers to food service, special education, and driver’s education. Since we still have other obligations such as utilities, district insurance, technology support and repair, and motor fuel and fleet repairs we must rely on using the supplemental general fund (LOB) to meet these obligations. In essence the school district needs a minimum of $2,733,073.00 to keep the district operating. Last year through the Ad-Hoc budget committee were able to reduce some expenditures for this year by over $80,000.00. If each new unexpected student funds us $4,218.00 and if the state auditor approves the additional FTE we could be looking at an increase in budget authority of about $35,853.00. If that number holds true after the state audit the board will have to hold another budget hearing and state where these possible new funds would be distributed.
As you have already realized the school district has moved to a new phase in being able to contact parents and guardians. This program is called “School Reach.”
To date we have used the automated phone system twice. Once on a test run and once to notify students parents / guardians about school pictures. This cost effective service costs the district $2.85 per student for the year and we can contact all parent /guardian phone numbers in less than four minutes and do this numerous times. Whatever contact numbers have been provided to the district this service will call. Answering machines that are set for six rings will not receive a message. The answering machines must be set to four rings for this service to work. In the past if we mailed a note home it could cost us 55 cents per student and if we sent it home with a student it would be 11 cents.
Sometimes these notes never make it to the parents hands. With the School Reach service we know contact has been made. We have received phone calls to the school when we have tested this service and also for the school picture notice. Those folks with caller I D will see the district office number appear because this is the phone number that generates the calls.
Our fall sports schedules are in full swing and we have tasted some success in our athletic endeavors. We appreciate our fan support and the efforts of the Bucklin Booster Club which have painted the bleachers and goal posts, and installed three new flag poles at Carlin Field, and have been placing the Red & White flags downtown on game days. If you want to purchase some Red Ace clothing to let your spirit shine please visit with a Booster Club officer and they share the new fall items they have for sale. Right now they are selling long shelve shirts for the basketball season. If you have not come to a home football game to see the concession area improvements done by the Paige–Estes Foundation one should do so. The new concrete slab and seating are great improvements to the concession area.
The H1N1 influenza is in the news and Bucklin schools have taken preventative measures. Each classroom has a large container of hand sanitizer for student and staff use. We have discussed with our head custodian the importance of cleaning rest rooms, water fountains, and door knobs more than once a day. The kitchen is using the appropriate solutions to clean tables and counters each day. The administration has sent out information to the staff in regard to proper precautions when someone coughs or sneezes by using your bent arm to cover the face since this influenza is passed by air borne droplets. We have cautioned parents not to send students to school if they are running fevers and to keep them one more day after the fever breaks. The Ford County Nurses will be contacting the county school districts once the H1N1 vaccine becomes available in mid-to-late October and procedures for providing shots to school age children since parent permission will be required. We all know that good common sense in the practicing of washing hands and covering one’s mouth and nose when necessary can reduce the transmission of this influenza.
On another health note, the Board of Education is investigating the use of defibrillators and policy development for the use of defibrillators. In doing research so the board can make the best decision possible, we are finding that not all defibrillators are the same even though they are designed to do one function and save lives. During the October board meeting, the board will make a decision in regard to the use of defibrillators in the school buildings.
In closing, I ask that you let our teachers and support staff know that they are appreciated as they are the ones that work day to day with your children or
grandchildren. A sound education will open the doors in the future for our students and these students are the next generation. We hope to see you at our school events.