Fort district unsure of state funding amount

FORT RECOVERY - School officials are budgeting conservatively this year as they still don't know how much state foundation funding they will receive, treasurer Lori Koch said at Tuesday night's school board meeting.

"We still basically have no idea for sure what kind of funding we're going to get and that's huge," Koch said, pointing out that foundation funding makes up 50-60 percent of the district's general fund.

Gov. John Kasich recently signed the two-year state budget but vetoed several financial items, some of which were favorable to the district, she said.

"The last numbers that came out, we were going to get something to the tune of $800,000 (more than before)," Koch said. "It went from $300,000 to $600,000 to $800,000 but that got vetoed."

Fiscal year 2016 started in July and the state began disbursing foundation payments. Fort Recovery's first payment was nearly identical to the first payment last year, Koch said.

In fiscal year 2015, the district received $5.05 million in state foundation funding, according to Koch.

"So basically what they're doing is they're continuing to give everyone the same amount they were giving them before until they figure out what they're going to do," she said.

Earlier this year - before the budget was signed - Koch had said the district stood to lose as much as $97,000 a year in 2016 and 2017 under the governor's proposal but gain $379,000 in 2016 and $407,000 in 2017 under the House proposal.

Koch also updated board members about the district's ending finances for fiscal year 2015, which ended June 30. The school's total revenue for all funds was $10.02 million and total expenditures were $9.4 million. After encumbrances - legal liabilities, purchase orders, etc. - the district ended the year with excess revenue of $271,405, according to Koch.

"So overall, very good as far as the ending balance and that again goes back to the fact that the increases in the property taxes (and) the income tax ended up coming out a lot better than we thought it was going to," she said.

According to Koch, property taxes generated $1.97 million, 14.8 percent more than in the previous fiscal year. Also, income tax revenue was $2.06 million, an increase of 0.17 percent from last year.

Board members also,

• accepted the resignations of Emily May, middle school volleyball assistant coach; Norman Leugers, teacher; and Zachary Sudhoff, teacher.

• approved a contract with T&D Interiors Inc. to replace portions of the carpet in the elementary/middle school.

• approved the following as classified substitutes on an as-needed basis for the upcoming school year: Nancy Abels, Barbara Alig, Janelle Braun, Denise Bruns, Lisa Grieshop, Sheri Grover, Kathleen Heitkamp, Janet Hummel, Alicia Jutte, Kathleen Jutte, Bonnie Kaiser, Sandra Kaiser, Charlene Pearson, Cheryl Perkeybile, Norma Pottkotter, Nancy Reinhard, Barbara Sautbine, Peggy Siefring, Jill Walter, Eileen Wendel and Angie Will.

• set preschool tuition fees for the school year.

• approved handbooks for the upcoming school year.

• moved to employ for the upcoming school year Lisa Huelsman, classified aide; Matthew Kerns, teacher; and Toby Metzger, teacher.

• approved supplemental contracts for Matthew Kerns, Future Business Leaders Association advisor; Maura Gavit, show choir director; Robert Heitkamp, fourth-grade chair; Laura Snyder, fifth-grade chair; Jocelyn Meyer, book club adviser; and Donna Bates, middle school assistant volleyball coach.