May 23, 2014 3 min read

NEW FREEPORT – West Greene School Board approved a tentative 2014-15 budget Thursday that will require no increase in property taxes.

The $16,381,917 budget is $1,253,615 greater than the current budget, primarily as a result of increases in costs for salaries, benefits and retirement contributions, business manager Shannon Rutan said.

Some of the increase also was attributed to changes made in accounting procedures. At the same time, budget estimates were more closely aligned in the proposed budget with actual expenditures from past years, she said.

The largest increases were for retirement contributions and health insurance, each of which will jump by about 4 percent, Rutan said. Salaries will increase as they normally do each year.

On the revenue side, the district will see an increase in local revenue because of higher assessment values associate with coal. State and federal funding will remain about the same as they are this year, Rutan said.

The district has not raised taxes since 2002. It now has a fund balance of about $2.9 million, or 15 percent of its operating budget, which is on the high side of what is recommended for a district of West Greene’s size.

Three board members voted against the tentative budget: Regina MacDowell, Tom Coss and Joe Coss.

In other business, the board made a large investment in new books by approving a budget transfer to provide funds to purchase all new reading and math books for kindergarten through 12th grade. The estimated cost of the purchase is $126,000.

Board member Chad Scott said the purchase of new books was discussed by the academic improvement group as one of the strategies that could be pursued to help the district meet its academic goals.

The board has made improvements to the district’s buildings, said board member Butch Cassiday. Now, it is taking steps to provide the proper materials to improve the district’s academic side, he said.

The board voted to eliminate a kindergarten teacher’s position at Graysville Elementary because of low enrollment. Because of openings resulting from retirements, the board voted to post and advertise positions for a second-grade teacher and a third-grade teacher, both at Graysville, and an elementary librarian.

The board accepted the resignation of Jeremy Olisar as band director, instrumental instructor and chorus sponsor, effective June 30. Olisar, who has been with the district six years, is leaving to pursue a master’s degree.

Middle-Senior high school Principal Scott Sakai said he was sorry to see Olisar leave. A replacement will be hard to find, he said. Board member Kelly Loughman also spoke about the good work Olisar had accomplished with the students.

Olisar thanked the board and administration for the support and said it was good that students in a smaller district like West Greene are offered the same opportunities in the arts and music as those in larger districts.

The board approved Jed Hamburger, assistant middle-senior high school principal, as an assistant varsity football coach and ratified the approval of Cullen Piatt as an assistant varsity track coach.

A motion to create a third paid assistant varsity football coaching position failed for a lack of a second.