The Press-Dispatch
Issue link: https://www.ifoldsflip.com/i/616296
A-8 Local Wednesday, December 16, 2015 The Press-Dispatch TV Cabinets Appliances Bar Stools Mattresses Jewelry Armoires Bookcases Bean Bags Curios Lamps Floorcoverings 482-2246 650 Division Road, Jasper HOME COMFORT CENTER Mon., Tues., Thurs. 9-5:30; Wed. & Fri. 9-7; Sat. 9-3 ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ •FURNITURE •FLOORCOVERING •HEATING/COOLING CHECK LIST Shop Our NEW Website! www.englertshomecomfortcenters.com TV Cabinets Appliances Bar Stools Mattresses Jewelry Armoires Bookcases Bean Bags Curios Lamps Floorcoverings 482-2246 650 Division Road, Jasper HOME COMFORT CENTER Mon., Tues., Thurs. 9-5:30; Wed. & Fri. 9-7; Sat. 9-3 ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ❑ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ •FURNITURE •FLOORCOVERING •HEATING/COOLING CHECK LIST Shop Our NEW Website! www.englertshomecomfortcenters.com State reduces school corporation's 2016-2017 budget by 6.1 percent By Ed Cahill A fter asking the Indiana Department of Local Gov- ernment Finance to ap- prove a 24 percent increase in its budget for 2016, the Pike County School Cor- poration's board of trust- ees has learned that it has been reduced by 6.1 per- cent instead. Pike County Schools Superintendent Suzanne Blake shared the less- than-glad tidings during the school board's regular monthly meeting on Mon- day, Dec. 14. "Bottom line, our 2016 budget order is for $1,230,274 less than 2015," Blake noted. According to a notice dat- ed Dec. 8, DLGF approved a budget totaling $18,806,220 for 2016. In 2015, DLGF ap- proved appropriations total- ing $20,036,494. The school board had submitted a proposed bud- get of $24,847,493 for 2016. Blake noted that DL - GF approved general fund appropriations total- ing $11,316,855 in 2016, a decrease of $786,773 – or 6.5 percent – from the $12,103,628 that had been approved for 2015. The school board had asked for general fund appropriations totaling $14,004,442. The transportation and capital projects funds took even bigger hits, however. The DLGF approved transportation fund ap- propriations totaling $2,596,026 in 2016, a de- crease of $ 384,496 – or 12.9 percent – from the $2,980,522 that had been approved for 2015, and cap- ital projects fund appropri- ations totaling $2,300,363 in 2016, a decrease of $207,862 – or 8.3 percent – from the $2,508,225 that had been approved for 2015. "With the projects we have coming, we did not need less," Blake said of the reduction in the capital projects fund. The school board had requested transportation fund appropriations total- ing $ 3,543,272, and capi- tal projects fund appropri- ations totaling $4,674,756. The notice states that the budget amount for each of the general, transportation and capital projects funds "has been decreased be- cause projected revenues are insufficient to fund the adopted budget." Blake also noted that the assessed value DLGF used for Pike County in 2016 is $714,679,144, which is down from $779,645,355 in 2015. "So our rates are very similar, slightly lower," Blake said. "With the com- bination of the lower AV and the lower rate, we have a little bit less on our levy. Again, it's a little bit of a challenge as we move for- ward on some of the proj- ects that we have coming up." Blake pointed out that the notice approved the ex- penditure of up to $408,126 out of the capital projects fund to pay for utility and insurance costs, the same amount as was approved in 2015. "But we're getting less in CPF," board president Da- vid Waltz said. "Yes," Blake replied. "With what we're los- ing in CPF, we lost that ground," Waltz said. "As you say, the total of CPF is lower," Blake said. "So, if we pull all that out for utilities, it gives us less to do some of our other proj- ects." Board member Ron Sharp was not pleased with the news. "So we started out a cou- ple of months ago that we were going to receive a significant amount to help us out," Sharp exclaimed. "They've cut that ... and now they've cut it again? " Blake said that the appro- priations approved by DL - GF does not include up to $ 600,000 the school corpo- ration may receive from the Indiana Department of Edu- cation based on its average daily membership (ADM). "What DLGF tells us is, here's what they see as our projected revenue from the state, here's what I'm autho- rized to spend," Blake said. "So they've given the corpo- ration permission to spend the $11,316,855. If we re- ceive more than that, it's wonderful, but I have to get permission to spend anything above this dollar amount." "In the past, when they've cut us like this, it has been because of the deficit on the prior year," Blake added. "If you look at it from that an- gle, that would be part of it. I have not had a conversa- tion yet with Robert Morris. He's our field rep." "So the harder we try with the teachers and ev- erybody involved to reduce our spending, the state just keeps cutting our spend- ing," Sharp said. "They're setting us up to continue to fail." "Exactly," board member Chris Satterfield replied. "And the $400 million our legislature's put out to help schools – where'd it go? " "That's the part we've got to get our legislators to un- derstand, that when they authorize more educational funding, it's not always go- ing where it needs to go," Blake replied. Blake said that she would be reviewing DLGF's sug- gestions in regard to what areas of the adopted budget should be cut to reduce it to what has been approved. "I've been reviewing that to see whether I will go with the areas they suggest or if we can cut from another ar- ea," Blake said. "For exam- ple, we usually have a large amount set aside as emer- gency money. I may end up doing all of it but $100,000 from the emergency fund, and that way I won't be tak- ing away from another ar- ea." Sharp asked if the 2016 budget as approved by DL - GF would cause any de- lays in the renovation of the wastewater treatment plant at Pike Central, most of which will be done dur- ing the summer break. "That's already been ear- marked and it's already in the previous (budget)," Blake replied. "We don't want any slip ups," Sharp said. "That's why I was asking." "In fact, they've had some more issues out there," Blake said. "So you better keep your fingers crossed we make it to the end of the school year." In other action, the school board voted to en- ter into a five-year lease- purchase agreement with Midwest Transit Equip- ment of Indiana, of Whites- town, for a total of 18 buses beginning with the 2016 -17 school year. "The annual payment would be $208,116," Blake noted. "At the end of five years, we have the option to purchase the buses or return them and enter into a new lease." Blake said that the move would save the school cor- poration approximately $175,000 per year from the estimated $1 million per year it is currently spend- ing on transportation costs. "With this option, that would also mean that all bus drivers are corporation em- ployees," Blake said. "One of the things that we will be analyzing in the next cou- ple of months is if we need a part-time mechanic or not to help maintain the fleet. But even with that salary, we still have significant savings by going through a lease option versus what we currently are in." "And our current set-up is not working, correct? " board vice president Chris McKinney asked. "It's not working," Blake said. "Currently, we're finding the replacements for any and all drivers, not just our drivers. There may have been a few that they've covered, but many times we're getting calls that Bus Corporation's asking us to handle. And then we have some bus issues that Jason or Ryan have fixed on site, or we've taken our bus out so they could finish run- ning their route." Earlier in the meeting, Blake updated the school board on various fund bal- ances, which, as of Nov. 30, were: General Fund – $2,278,752.70 ; Debt Ser- vice – $264,920.46; Retire- ment/Severance Bond Debt – $73,752.42; Capital Proj- ects Fund – – $ 35,820.70 ; Transportation Operating Fund – $744,428.61; and Bus Replacement Fund – $173,528.88. "The Rainy Day Fund had a balance of $248,985," Blake said. "With the re- maining payrolls coming up through the end of the year, the Rainy Day Fund will be taken down to zero by the end of December. We also will be paying back the bank loan to German Amer- ican Bank in the amount of $ 3,985,000 plus interest, which will take us into a negative amount." A few moments later, the school board opened sealed bids on a one-year loan of $ 3 million, with Home Build- ing Savings Bank submit- ting the winning bid of a 1.89 percent interest rate. German American Bank, the only other bidder, sub- mitted a bid of 1.92 percent. On a motion by Waltz, seconded by Satterfield, the board voted 4-0 to ac- cept the lower bid. Sharp, who is employed as the re- tail banking officer at Ger- man American Bank's Pe- tersburg branch, abstained. In other financial-related matters: • The school board voted unanimously to authorize the corporation's treasurer, Chelsea Yon, and the corpo- ration's deputy treasurer, Lorice Chamberlain, to pay any outstanding claims "as needed" through the end of December, as well as to encumber any balances in tax-supported school funds and any other fund as nec- essary. • The school board re- appointed Waltz and board secretary Nathan Harker to the school corporation's board of finance for 2016. • The school board ap- proved the fuel escalation costs for November, which was a credit of $2,631.80 from Bus Corporation and a credit of $ 645.05 from the school corporation's buses for a total credit of $ 3,276.85. Minor injuries in Saturday crash A Petersburg woman was slightly injured in a 5:30 p.m. Saturday eve- ning crash west of Ireland on SR 56 in Dubois County. Keeley Schell, of 3000 E. CR 650 N., sustained neck and shoulder har- ness pain when her gray 2003 Mitsubishi Eclipse spun three or four times on loose gravel, according to a witness traveling behind her. The car then crossed the roadway and came to rest in a ditch on the south side of the highway. Schell was westbound, traveling to Otwell in the vicinity of the John Deere dealership when the one-vehicle crash occurred. The car was a total loss according to her father, Brandon Schell, whose wrecker and salvage service towed the vehicle. The Dubois County Sheriff's Department inves- tigated the crash. James Capozella photo " So the harder we try with the teachers and everybody involved to reduce our spending, the state just keeps cutting our spending," Sharp said. "They're setting us up to con- tinue to fail." Winslow lights go up Winslow employees Steve Nelson (below) and Cody Kendall (above) hang the town's Christmas decorations on Main St. last week. They used a lift truck that was donated to the town by Glendel "Buck" Ashby's family. Petersburg Red Hatters Christmas party Petersburg Red Hat Roses Chapter #627728 hosted their Christmas party on Saturday, Dec. 12, 2015, at the Village Inn with a luncheon. Those attending were: Queen Mother Red Roses Theresa Blackburn Love- less, Sherri Blackburn, Brenda Loveless, Sherri Blackburn, Karen Dixon, Sharon Byrnes and Jane Smith. After lunch, they played bingo, with Sherri Blackburn winning first and Sharon Byrnes winning second. Byrnes also won an award for Vice Queen. After the bingo games, the ladies went on a carriage ride.