Tuesday, April 19, 2016
NORTH LIMA
South Range School District has closed open enrollment for the 2016-17 school year for all students except those in kindergarten, first and fifth grades.
Superintendent Dennis Dunham said at Monday evening’s school board meeting that the schools have reached their capacity in all other grade levels except for a few spots in the ones left open.
“Our whole goal is to run by capacity,” Dunham said.
He said applications and reapplications for other grade levels already have been processed for next year, with a 99.5 percent return rate.
In other news, Dean Pagnotta, director of maintenance and technology, said he is hopeful the bus garage project, costing about $162,000, will be finished within the next few weeks, weather permitting.
The garage was paid for by the local fund initiative through the new schools bond and funds that the district received from Salem for a tax increment financing district.
During his financial report, Treasurer Jim Phillips said the board would have to increase appropriations because he expects the district to spend about 1 percent ore than current appropriations.
That won’t make a huge difference, he said, because that amount will be offset by revenue collected from open enrollment.
The school will end the fiscal year with a $2 million cash balance, he noted.
As of April, the school has spent about 32 percent of its fiscal budget, with more than $2.5 million remaining.
Phillips also announced almost a $300,000 payroll increase, which happens sometimes when a payday falls at the end of the month. The amount will even out the next month, he said.