Oskaloosa school board members approved the certified budget for the 2015-16 school year at their meeting Monday night. Superintendent Russ Reiter said the legislature is still a long way from establishing a percentage of supplemental funding, but it is looking at zero dollars. The House has offered 1.25 percent while the Senate has offered 4 percent. The Senate offered another compromise of around 2 percent, but the House remains at 1.25. If the legislature is unable to come to an agreement the supplemental funding automatically goes to zero. After the public hearing, the board made the approval.
With that approval the district will have a budget of $31.588 million. Board financial manager Chad Vink said the budget published in the papers had a levy rate of $15.3172 per $1,000 in valuation and was based on 4 percent from the state. He said that if the state comes in at a lower rate the state auditor would make the adjustment automatically. The board voted for approval of the budget.
Board members approved a school calendar with a start date on Tuesday August 25. Teachers will have five days of in-service beginning on August 18. Students will have one-hour early outs the first two days. Most Wednesdays will be one-hour early outs for professional development. Fall parent teacher conferences will be October 15-16.
A 90-minute early out will be held on December 23. Winter break will be from December 24-January 4. In March, March 10 and 11 will be a three-hour early out for elementary parent-teacher conferences and professional development at the secondary schools. Monday and Tuesday March 14-15 will be vacation days for students and staff. High school conferences will be held April 7-8. Graduation will be held May 15 and the last day for students will be May 20.
Board members approved the resignations of Liz Foster as middle school science teacher and Noel Hoover, high school special education instructor. The approved the hiring of Jacey White as high school business teacher. White will have a one-year contract at $34,165.
