School Board puts Sinking Fund renewal on May ballot

By Rosemary K. Otzman
Independent Editor
A renewal of the Sinking Fund millage of 1.13 mills for seven years will go before school district voters in the May election.
The current millage expires in December 2015.
At Monday’s meeting of the Van Buren Public Schools Board of Education, the board unanimously approved the millage renewal be put on the ballot.
School Supt. Michael Van Tassel said there is nothing different than the current seven-year millage.
He said it was being proposed for May because if it didn’t pass, it will give the district time to determine why voters rejected it and time to rework it by the November election.
He said they do not intend to keep presenting the same proposal to voters until they pass it.
It will cost $6,000 to $9,000 to have the election if nothing else is set for that date.
Treasurer Sherry Frazier said the public should remember that the Sinking Fund repairs the buildings and does “heavy lifting” for maintenance.
“It reduces the burden on the general fund,” added Secretary Kevin English.
Trustee Scott Russell asked if it was the exact same language as the 2008 proposal to voters and Van Tassel said it was.
The ballot language will be:
——-
Millage Proposal
Building and Site Sinking Fund Tax Levy
Shall Van Buren Public Schools, Counties of Wayne and Washtenaw, State of Michigan, create a sinking fund for the purpose of construction or repair of school buildings and the improvement and development of sites and for any other purpose which may be authorized by law, and be authorized to levy not to exceed 1.13 mills ($1.13 on each $1,000 of taxable valuation) for a period of seven (7) years, 2016 to 2022 inclusive. This levy would renew the sinking fund levy previously authorized by the voters in 2008 for an additional seven (7) years. It is estimated that the revenue the school district will collect if the millage is approved and levied in the 2016 calendar year shall be approximately $1,715,961 from the local taxes authorized in this proposal. A portion of the revenue collected may be subject to capture by the Van Buren Township Downtown Development Authority.
——-
In other business at the hour-long meeting on Nov. 10, the board also:
• Approved the June 30, 2014 financial audit report presented by Taylor Morgan with an “unqualified opinion,” the highest. The auditor said there were 5,137 students in the 2013-14 school year and state aid was $7,372 per student. The fund balance is 12.38% of the total budget and the state average is 8.22%. He said fund balances under 10% are said to be “in distress”;
• Approved amendments to the $46,395,792 budget for the 2014-15 fiscal year. Revenue changes reflected $312,000 more from the state because the district has 42 more students than anticipated and $321,000 less from the state because of a reduction in retirement reimbursement previously budgeted. Also there is $50,000 less in legal fees because expulsion and suspensions are now being handled by Van Tassel and Director of Human Resources Shonta Langford-Green. Also, $30,000 budgeted for interest on borrowing was not needed because the larger fund balance made borrowing not necessary. Also, there was $83,000 less needed than budgeted because of net reduction in utilities/maintenance;
• Discussed the plan to assign $1,120,000 of the $5,589,929 fund equity to football turf replacement ($100,000), school bus replacement ($450,000), text book adoption ($200,000), and reserve for declining enrollment (50 students, $370,000);
• Approved recalling paraprofessionals Denise Armatis and Paula Brown for positions at Haggerty School;
• Approved termination of Rebecca Herrin, a teacher at McBride for 1.5 years as of Oct. 22, for other endeavors;
• Approved the hiring of Jasmine Bates as a teacher at McBride as of Nov. 3;
• Heard Treasurer Frazier ask, once again, for a survey to be done to determine how many students do not have computers at home to do their homework. She said from talking to parents and students at the public library, there is a need. She suggested the district may need to open up the computer lab at night for parents or students. Board president Brent Mikulski said the district’s computer people may have that data. He suggested they review the data they have before doing a survey. Van Tassel said Diane Kullis, Director of Instruction, will be meeting with the technology committee. He said they will start with the committee and bring information back to the board; and
• Learned the board work/study session at 7 p.m. Monday, Nov. 17, at the administration building, with have on the agenda: vice president Martha Toth’s report on the Michigan Association of School Board conference she attended; a board discussion on public comment, as requested by Secretary English; and the implementation strategies of high school positive behavior as required by the state.