June 17, 2008

B-H Board considering a fuel fee for ECA events

A $25 transportation fee may keep parents from allowing their children to play sports at school.

That was one of vice president Kent Shady’s concerns at the regular meeting of the Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School Board on Monday evening.

Superintendent Dr. Julie Wood brought up the topic of transportation fees to the board for discussion. She said beginning in the 2008-09 school year, there would be a one time per-year transportation fee of $25 for high school students participating in extracurricular activities (ECA) and a one time per-student transportation fee of $15 for middle school students in ECA.

The elementary school would be limited to two field trips per year with a per-student cost per field trip to be collected at the time of the field trip. There would be no school-sponsored trips at the middle school or high school levels. Any trips taken at those levels would have to be paid by students, clubs, PTO, building funds, or other sources. The same would be true for any additional trips taken at the elementary level.

This is being done because of skyrocketing fuel costs.

Dr. Wood said these fees will not cover costs of the trips, but they could help recoup the money that has been lost in the transportation fund. That fund is $80,000 in the hole, according to board member Dawn Frauhiger.

Shady asked if families with students on free and reduced lunches would get help from the school to pay for these fees. Wood replied that no one in that program will be given money by the school to help pay for it.

Steve Baker, principal of Bluffton High School, said they will not deny any student the chance to play sports or participate in ECAs because of money. While he did not like the idea of charging these fees, he supported it because it was the “least painful” option to take.

Board president Daryl Elliott agreed. “We don’t like this idea, but in today’s economy, it’s necessary.”

Baker did say there were ways students could cope with this. Payment options could be offered, such as paying five dollars a month for five months, or students could earn the money by working for the school, doing things like cleaning up the gym after a basketball game.

Shady said this was a possible slippery slope. If the school charged $25 this year, how much would have to be charged next year? When would it stop?

He also said that as small as it was, these fees could discourage parents from allowing their children to participate in ECAs.

Baker said whenever there has been a money crunch before, donors–many of them anonymous–gave money so students could pay for fees.

Plus, he reminded the board that parents needed to know that cuts were being made “across the board.” Bus routes were being redone, fewer field trips were being taken, and more students were being packed into buses to allow for fewer trips. These fees were just one of the school’s effort to cut costs.

Baker then commended Dr. Wood for not cutting programs or charging higher fees like many other schools were doing.

Dr. Wood said the Bluffton-Harrison district was not alone in this. Both Norwell and Southern Wells schools had come to her saying they wanted to help each other because they were “in the same boat.” She planned to work with them to find a solution that would help all of them.

This matter will be discussed further at the board’s July meeting.

The board unanimously approved the first reading of three policies that evening.

The first was KLB-E, a request for reconsideration off a book or other instructional materials. This was a policy that had not been updated since 2001. It allowed parents to submit a form saying they disapproved of a particular book that had been assigned to their child. A new book could then be assigned.

Baker said this was, more or less, to provide documentation. But he said in the nine years he had been with the school, the forms had never been filled out because a verbal conversation always settled the matter.

Shady said he did not like that the child’s name was on the new form. Baker said it was a convenience for teachers so they could identify the child, especially if that family had more than one in the school.

It was noted that the new form was two pages long while the previous forms were one page long.

The second policy was BBFA, which dealt with conflicts of interest. This modified the clauses that stated the board “will not” hire or promote a relative or spouse of any board member or administrator to “may not.” This would give the board some flexibility in deciding such matters.

The third policy was JBCA, which concerned non-resident students, or transfer students. Since these students do not pay property taxes in the school’s district, they have to pay the difference in tuition in order to attend the school. But with Gov. Mitch Daniels taking over the general fund in January 2009, the school will no longer be receiving money from property taxes.

Now, transfer students could still apply to attend the school, but the school was less likely to take them because they will not hire additional personnel for additional students.

Also, applicants will be reviewed each year, and if they did not pay their transfer fees, their transfer privileges would be revoked.

The following employment recommendations were unanimously approved by the board:

–Diane Johnson for high school girls reserve basketball coach.

–Chad Grieser for Academic Bowl advisor.

–Thomas Jobe and Kevin Neuenschwander for high school assistant football coaches.

–Amanda Hanson for a first grade elementary school teacher (she was present at the meeting)

–Elyse Breeding for music/choral teacher.

–The following textbook fees were unanimously approved by the board:

–Kindergarten: $61.96

–Grade 1R: $46.46

–Grade 1: $78.04

–Grade 2: $102.99

–Grade 3: $71.91

–Grade 4: $71.43

–Grade 5: $89.55

–Grade 6: $91.76

–Grade 7: $116.70 (average cost)

–Grade 8: $131.66 (average cost)

–(High school fees vary depending on electives).

In other business:

–The board unanimously approved the resignations of Danny Irwin, high school and middle school wrestling coach, and Stan Gilbert, high school, assistant girls track coach and girls cross country coach.

–Dr. Wood’s administrative contract was unanimously approved.

–Unanimous approval was given to the boys and girls summer camps for basketball and football. Letters of intent have already been sent.

The next meeting of the Bluffton-Harrison Metropolitan School Board will be July 21 at 7:30 p.m. Future topics will include possibly changing the board’s meeting time in light of new members possibly being elected in November and scheduling budgets with the Department of Local Government Finances (DLGF) after the recent passing of House Act 1001.

nathan@news-banner.com