Worth County School Board Hires Bus Driver

The Worth County School Board, at their regular board meeting last Wednesday, hired a bus driver. They are still looking for one more route driver before the start of the school year.

Final revenues and expenditures for the 2022-23 school year were in. For the General Fund (Fund 1), local revenues were $1,214,952.96. County revenues were $262,750.63. State revenues were $203,045.37. Federal revenues were $360,756.86. Sale of property brought in $1,000.50. Miscellaneous revenues brought in $14,752.14. The total was $2,052,258.46, which was $200,000 higher than what was budget.

For the Teacher Fund (Fund 2), local revenues were $377,460.67. County revenues were $14,703.72. State revenues were $1,480,370.78. Federal revenues were $453,391.57 for a total of $2,325,926.74.

For the Debt Service Fund (Fund 3), local revenues were $83,124.90. County revenues were $19,776.92 for a total of $102,901.82.

For the Capital Projects Fund (Fund 4), local revenues were $7,500. State revenues were $18,331.51 while Federal revenues were $18,439.00 for a total of $44,270.51. 

Revenues from Student Activity Funds (Fund 6) were $177,714.82.

Total revenues from all sources were $4,708,072.35. Total expenditures across all funds were $4,134,279 for a surplus of $573,793. The revenues include $340,000 of federal revenue that was used by the school to pay teacher salaries and programs/curriculum focused on tutoring. Without this infusion of funds, the budget surplus would have been $233,793.

The school board authorized the school to pursue two Career Technical Education grants, which require a 50% match from the district. The first one was written by the agriculture department and will be used to purchase a refrigerator for classes and contests, curriculum, a welding kit, and an impact drill combo set. Total expenditures would be $3,350, of which the grant would pay 50% for a cost to the district of $1,675.

The business department wrote a grant for purchasing 25 Chromebooks at a cost of $10,000, of which the grant would pay $5,000 and the district would pay $5,000.

Committee assignments were made for the upcoming school year. They were:

Career Tech Education – Amber Monticue, Josh Fletchall;

District Facilities Committee – Adam Downing, Michael Mullock, Tish Warner;

District Policy Committee – Tish Warner, Michael Mullock;

Partnership Library Board – Brad Maudlin, Tish Warner;

Worth County Educational Foundation – Josh Fletchall;

District Wellness Committee – Brad Maudlin, Adam Downing;

District Parent & Community Engagement – Amanda Gilland;

District Finance Committee – Amanda Gilland, Amber Monticue, Tish Warner, Chris Healy;

Board Legislative Committee – Tish Warner, Chris Healy.

Additional staff and community members will be added to these committees in coming months.

The board approved Green Valley Pest Control for the pest control provider at a cost of $151 per service. They were the lone bidder.

The board approved Porter Trash for the trash provider at $1,200 a month for the school and an additional $170 a month for the ball diamond. They were the lone bidder.

The board approved a transportation agreement with Northeast Nodaway to transport their students to the Northwest Technical School at a cost of $3.78 per mile for 13 miles for each round trip from NEN to the Worth County School District. There will be approximately 150 such trips for the upcoming school year.

The board renewed the school’s participation in the teacher salary baseline grant program, meaning all teachers will receive a salary of at least $38,000 a year. This grant requires an annual appropriation from the legislature. This year, the grant will be funded at 100% of the salary difference needed to reach $38,000.

The board voted to reimburse teachers Jamie Stalder and Harlee Meek $500 each for successfully completing a volume of LETRS training.

The board voted to partner with Lion Electric, an electric bus company based in Joilet (IL), and other school districts for the purpose of purchasing up to five electric buses should the school district be approved for funding from the EPA. Partnerships involving multiple organizations usually get higher priority in funding approval from the government.