The Bernie School Board approved the 2022-23 budget, high school handbooks and program evaluations at its June meeting.
The first program evaluation was the Federal Program. The goal of the district is to operate the Federal Programs in an efficient manner to provide an educational benefit the district and to meet the district’s goals. Superintendent Dustin Hicks said the evaluation recommended no changes to the district’s program.
The next evaluation was the Fiscal Management Program. The goal is for the superintendent with appropriate input from the staff to prepare an annual budget as required by law. The budget will then be adopted by the Bernie School Board.
The 2022/23 high school handbook was approved with no changes from the 2021/22 school year.
Budget
The board approved a budget amendment and financial transfers. The board approved a transfer of $32,188 due to bus depreciation and $230,536 to guaranteed tax phase.
The board amended the budget to account for several changes including the high cost of utilities and fuel, extra games moved to Bernie from other towns due to weather.
The budget was approved t with estimated revenues for 2022/23 of $7,451,418. This is approximately $1,000 more than last year. Hicks said 71 percent of the budget is salaries and benefits with 39 percent covering the rest of the budget.
Bids and Safety
Entrances
The board approved a bid for $13,650 from for the tuckpointing of the southwest corner of the gym.
The district received two bids for 24 sections of black steel shelving for the high school library. The bids were from Color Arts for $17,839 and Demco for $21,205. The board accepted the bid from Color Arts. The district will assemble the shelves when they arrive.
The board also approved the installation of safety entrances at the elementary and high school buildings. These doors will be a secondary door inside the front entrance of the building forming a foyer. To enter the buildings individuals will have to be electronically buzzed through the outer door and again through the second door.
Hicks said this is being done because once individuals are being allowed to enter the current door some are not stopping at the office. Hicks said they are bypassing the office and heading toward their child’s classroom. While they know a lot of the parents and know they intend no harm, Hicks said this is a security risk.
The offices will be redesigned as well and the secondary doors will mean individuals must go through the office to proceed further. The cost of each door will be $15,000 and will be paid through ESSER III funds. The board also approved the replacement of a rusted door at the high school gym at a cost of $10,000.
Other Business
The board approved Sterling Bank as its financial institute. The board also raised the bus driver trip rate for the 2022/23 school year from $12 an hour to $15 an hour.
Hicks said Governor Mike Parson recently signed a bill allowing teachers to earn more money. Hicks said the Bernie district is foir the most part already at the pay level the bill raised the pay to. The board approved the payment of the money approved by Parson to eligible employees and also approved a pay step for employees. The employees will receive this money in lump sum payments. Hicks said he has met with the staff on this matter.