Board OKs budget, policies, appointments

The School Board Aug. 27 approved a slight increase in the district’s budget for the coming year following several years of substantial cuts that had been forced by declining state support. Here are a few budget highlights
--    $120.9 million for operations, up from $119.7 million this year but down from $124.5 million in 2010-11.
--    1.9 percent pay cut for all employee groups this year remains in place for 2012-13. (Click "read more".)
--    18% of the new budget is from levy funds approved by voters in 2010.
--    Average enrollment (full-time equivalent) is projected at 12,486, up from actual average of 12,318 this past school year.
--    Major expenditures include: 60% for teaching activities; 8% is for teaching support (school libraries, nurses, counselors etc.) and 19% for other support (building upkeep and repairs, grounds, utiltities, warehouse, print shop, motor pool)
--    Power Point explanation accessibe by clicking here.

Assistant principals named

--  Diane Castle, assistant principal at Daybreak Primary, had been a reading intervention specialist.
--  Susan Watson, assistant principal at Tukes Valley Primary, is a former fourth-grade teacher and a school district math specialist.
--  Andy Schoonover, assistant principal at Chief Umtuch Middle, has been a seventh-grade teacher and a social studies teacher and basketball coach at Battle Ground High.

Policies adopted, revised

Policy 5253 – “Maintaining Professional Staff/Student Boundaries”
Policy 3422 -- “Youth Sports – Concussion and Head Injuries.”
Policy 3418 -- Emergency treatment with AEDs.
Policies are accessible at battlegroundps.org under ”School Board” at right and down at “policies” in center of page.

Saving money with bond refinancing

The Board gave the go-ahead for the district to negotiate and approve terms of the refinancing of outstanding 2005 construction bonds as a savings for local taxpayers. Plans call for the sale of the bonds on Sept. 13.

The next regular meeting of the School Board will be 4:30 p.m. Sept. 10 at Lewisville.