T-R PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER GMG financial consultant Gary Sinclair speaks about the district’s five-year budget plan to members of the school board this past Monday evening in Green Mountain. The board voted 5-0 (Justin Hornberg and Kristine Kienzle were absent) to approve a second set of budget reductions for the next fiscal year including cutting the elementary P.E. position. The district currently employs three full-time physical education/health teachers including Mike Anderson and Scott Chaney at the high school and elementary P.E. teacher Jordan Bowers.

GREEN MOUNTAIN — The GMG school board approved another batch of recommended budget moves for the next fiscal year including staff reductions during Monday night’s board meeting.

Back on April 8, GMG financial consultant Gary Sinclair, along with the district’s newly hired Superintendent Chris Petersen, presented to board members a series of budget reductions designed to keep the district’s solvency ratio above water as part of a five-year budget plan.

Reductions proposed totaled more than $400,000 and included purchasing an equipment repair program from Jester Insurance using management funds as well as participating in the Iowa Local Government Risk Pool Commission Agreement. Combined, the two measures are estimated to save the district’s general fund $110,000, and the board approved them during the April 8 meeting.

During Monday’s meeting, Sinclair – on behalf of himself and Petersen, who was absent due to welcoming a new baby – presented a series of certified and classified staff reductions, additions, and moves that, if implemented as a package, are predicted to save the district more than $266,000.

They include:

• Dropping the elementary P.E. position and reassigning high school staff to cover the classes. Currently, GMG employs three full-time P.E./Health teachers across the district including Mike Anderson and Scott Chaney at the high school, and elementary P.E. teacher Jordan Bowers.

• Dropping one high school math position and reassigning classes while also moving a current substitute math teacher (Kirby Thiessen) from the classified salary scale to the certified scale.

• Replacing the business position opening with a classified staff member who then moves to certified staff.

• Combining a transportation and custodial position.

• Dropping two paraeducator positions at the elementary school.

Also included in the budget changes was the addition of a full-time elementary guidance position, the addition of a special education position at the high school, increasing certified salaries by $32,627, and increasing classified salaries by $43,848.

Sinclair again opened his presentation with the mantra, “This is a five-year projection with a one-year decision-making cycle.”

By sharing a superintendent with Baxter next school year, Sinclair reminded the board that they would also be saving a significant amount in the general fund as Petersen’s 0.5FTE salary will now be paid with purchased services funds.

Sinclair admitted the budget work he has undertaken along with Petersen has not been easy.

“This has not been painless – but we got here, quite frankly, quicker than I thought we would,” he said.

Later in the meeting, he expanded on the process.

“I knew when I was asked to come here that there were some challenges. Financially. But until we delved into it, I wasn’t quite aware as much as it was. [Former superintendent] Kym [Stein] was,” Sinclair said. “And Kym shared that. So it wasn’t that Kym did not share … And this superintendent sharing? Is no way negative toward Kym.”

Before approving the budget plan as presented, board member Ann Jackson asked Sinclair if students would be receiving the “same level of education and same services” next year once the changes are implemented.

“No,” Sinclair responded. “It’s not realistic. But can you do things different and meet the needs of kids? Yes. … Can we meet the needs of kids? Absolutely. Is it going to be different? Absolutely. … We simply have to expect different but at a high quality; it’s not that we are going to accept less for our kids – it’s going to be different. Staff are going to be asked to do different things.”

Board member Jackie Stonewall, who has served for 12 years, described it as “a lot to take in.”

“But I trust Gary with everything he has presented. … He knows his stuff,” Stonewall said.

Board president Jill Roberts added, in part, “We’re better informed as a board and we’re not just nodding our heads and going ‘ok, ok.’.”

The budget plan was approved by the board 5-0. Justin Hornberg and Kristine Kienzle were absent.

Earlier in the meeting as part of the finance report, Sinclair told the board that it was “very likely” the district would still need to borrow money in July and August to pay the current fiscal year’s bills.

“[W]e’ll borrow it from ourselves,” Sinclair said.

New high school principal

As part of the consent agenda, the board approved a batch of new contracts including Clyde Tarrence as secondary principal to replace Jaimie Gargas, who has resigned effective at the end of the school year to move to Arizona to be near family. Tarrence has been the middle/high school principal at Meskwaki Settlement School for the last six years.

Other business

Other contracts approved as part of the consent agenda included Brooke Parrish – early childhood special ed; Karen Gale-Hazen – summer concessions supervisor; Kirby Thiessen – secondary math; Justina Eggers – head high school volleyball coach; Kayla Bentley – assistant high school volleyball coach; and Ashley Olson – high school special education director.

Resignations approved as part of the consent agenda included Mick Long – secondary math/activities director/coach; Deb Boldt – elementary special ed; and Rachel (Kopriva) Asche – district art.

An operational sharing agreement with Baxter Community School District for a Superintendent of Schools was also approved by the board. The agreement is effective July 1, 2024, through June 30, 2025, and stipulates that Baxter shall be Superintendent Chris Petersen’s employer while GMG shall reimburse for services performed in semi-annual installments. Petersen’s schedule shall be split “approximately 50 percent” between the two districts.

The board also approved the following: FY24 Budget Amendment; a bid package from Elevate Roofing for $11,822 for roof repairs at both the elementary and secondary buildings; a bid from Johnson Controls totaling $6,221.13 for annual fire and safety inspections; a bid from Bergman Lawn Care for $5,864 for fertilizer and crabgrass/broadleaf control at district buildings and fields; a Chromebook bid for the third-grade class from Sterling for $10,185; three open enrollment requests for next school year including two from Marshalltown and one from South Tama County.

The school board’s next regular meeting is set for Monday, June 10, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at the secondary building in Garwin (Room 117).