BOE approves $22.6 million budget

September 16, 2019September 16, 2019 Jan McDonald Alabama, budget Amanda Smith, Caden Glen, Demopolis, Herrin Hewitt, Mary Ellen McCrory, Penny Stanford, Promethean, Rebecca Hasty, School Board

Demopolis City Schools will work off total estimated revenues of $22.7 million for the 2019-2020 school year after the board of Education passed the budget at its meeting Monday. Total expenses are expected to be $22.9 million.

State funding of $14.5 million accounts for most of the income for the system, an increase of $80,000 over the previous year. Federal funds, on the other hand, have dropped about $17,000 to $2.5 million.

Local income sources, including ad valorem and sales taxes, total another $5 million, an increase of almost $500,000. Other sources of income amount to $655,675, down about $25,000.

The biggest expense in the budget is for instruction: $12.4 million, a drop of more than $200,000.

Debt payments for the year will total $619,345. That includes balances on the stadium, auditorium and geothermal construction at the high school, new Promethean panels and other technology.

A revised salary schedule was approved, thanks to a four percent state-wide raise for teachers passed during the recent legislative session.

Board members accepted contracts with Rainbow Consulting Agency and The Learning Tree, Inc., for professional development paid for with at-risk student state grant funds.

Also accepted was an agreement with Government Capital, the company supplying the Promethean touch-screens. Supt. Kyle Kallhoff said all the boards will be installed this year, but payment will not be required until 2021. Ten more board are being installed at the high school than were originally planned, for an additional cost of $10,000.

Kallhoff gave the first reading of two policy change proposals, both having to do with Child Nutrition Program funding. The changes involving requiring cash when checks bounce, not allowing adults to charge meals and making sure children aren’t deprived of meals when parents don’t pay. A second reading is set for Sept. 26.

Kallhoff presented the five-year Capital Plan, which is more wishful thinking that what can be expected. The $15 million plan lists 14 priorities. However, after DCS pays its debts about $170 will be left. The superintendent said the funds will be used to complete paving projects and update rest rooms.

The board approved a long list of items for inventory dispositions, primarily the smart boards that had been removed for the installation of the Promethean panels. They will be offered for sale.

Under consent items, the board voted to:

Elect Johnny Moss of Selma as the District 2 president of the Alabama Association of School Boards.
Approve the use of the DHS track by the U.S. Army once a month.
Hire Eric Kilgore as a part-time grounds keeper.
Hire Clint Humphrey as assistant football coach.
Fund one-half of the charter buses for the band/football trip to Benjamin Russell High. The Band Boosters and Quarterback Club will pick up the cost of the other half.
Accept a proposal from Mitchell’s Contracting Services, Inc. for resurfacing and parking projects for $275,000.
Out-of-state trips by the DHS Cross Country team to Meridian, Miss., on Oct. 5 and Quitman, Miss., on Oct. 17, and the U.S. Jones 5^th grade honors club April 18-22, 2020, to Washington, D.C.

The following personnel changes were made:

Casey Morgan, Martha Jo Minus and Alicia Broadhead Brown were added with sub licenses.
Corrected the name of a sub approved Aug. 19 to Grear Curry.
Brittney Stacey will be a long-term sub for Carrie Goodman at DHS beginning Oct. 1.
Jesse Miles was named assistant varsity football coach for a supplement of $2,800.

Teachers, students and support staff from two schools were recognized at the meeting.