Waurika has stable carryover for new budget

June 20--WAURIKA -- Financial administrators and elected officials in Waurika Independent School District No. 23 wish the amount was higher, but just having carryover funds is a good thing.

In the past four years, school officials and members of the Waurika Board of Education has seen what was once a $1.5 million carryover dwindle annually. Most of that trend is the result of previous under-funding by the Oklahoma Legislature and cuts in education at the state and federal levels.

At the same time, the prudent financial planning of the past has helped District 23 ride out funding problems that have been more stringent in many school districts around the state.

Following a financial report for the month of May from Treasurer Rebecca Cunningham, when District 23 presents its fiscal year 2014-15 budget this month, a carryover of more than $400,000 will form the foundation.

"At this point," Cunningham told school board members at their June meeting, "we have collected 98 percent of the General Fund estimate by our auditors [for 2013-14]. We have collected 103 percent of the Building Fund estimate, 100 percent of the Bond Fund and 96 percent of the Sinking Fund (budget).

"Right now, our fund balance, which is our carryover, is $458,927.95. If for some reason we wouldn't collect the other 2 percent of the fund balance, than the fund balance carryover will be a little lower."

"Optimistically," noted Superintendent Roxie Terry, "we had hoped to be at $450,000 in carryover, so it looks like we're going to be very close to where we thought we'd be.

"We're trying to hold expenditures (in June) as tight as we can, but we're going to be pretty close to where we thought we'd be when this year's budget was approved."

The five members of the board approved Cunningham's report, during the meeting in the library at Waurika High/Middle School.

Prior to the financial report, board members also unanimously approved the following consent agenda items:

- Encumbrance of 18 purchase orders for the 2013-14 General Fund.

- Encumbrance of three purchase orders fort the 2013-13 Building Fund.

- The Activity Fund detail ledger for May.

- Appointing Cunningham to be Activity Fund custodian, treasurer and minutes clerk for fiscal year 2014-15.

- Appointing Superintendent's Secretary Shelly Mora as encumbrance clerk and deputy minutes clerk for FY 2014-15.

- Appointing WHS/WMS Principal Dale Spradlin as co-signature on the Activity Fund checking account for FY '14-15.

As the meeting continued, board members Brad Scott and Patrick Dudley had to leave the gathering early. However, in their absence, board members Ronnie Morgan, Sherry Waid and Kimberly Gholson unanimously approved the following:

- Having the board open negotiations with the Waurika Education Association, prompted by a change in the funeral policy that applies to district teachers.

In addition to that policy, which must be implemented through negotiations, Terry said, "There may be something else the WEA members will want to negotiate. So, we'll officially notify (the teachers union) and we'll have 30 days to start negotiations."

- Renewal of a contract with Kellogg & Sovereign Consulting LLC for E-Rate Services.

- Approving Terry as purchasing agent for Waurika Independent School District 23, authorized representative for all Federal programs, including E-Rate and Child Nutrition, and designated custodian for the General Fund, Building Fund, Child Nutrition Fund, Bond Fund, Activity Fund, all Federal programs, including E-Rate, all state programs, and all other school programs and activities not listed for the 2014-154 school year.

- Renewing a contract with Precision Testing Laboratories Inc. for asbestos services, at a cost of $650 per year.

- Renewing a contract with Oklahoma Public Schools Unemployment Compensation Trust Account, at a cost of $20,966 annually.

During an administrative report, Spradlin said there were 26 students enrolled in driver's education this month, with the program to end on the June 27.

He said routine maintenance and repair projects normally done during summer break are underway at WHS/WMS, and that Spradlin is preparing for an annual visit from the Regional Accreditation Officer at the end of the month.

Waurika Elementary Principal Cody Simmons said about 20 students at the kindergarten to third-grade levels had been taking summer school classes, and that maintenance projects are also under way at his education site.

Spradlin and Simmons said they were in the process of reviewing preliminary end-of-year testing results, with both noting they were finding several errors that could be traced to technology glitches and other problems beyond the district's control.

"Educators all over the state are finding errors (in the test results)," Spradlin noted.

___

(c)2014 Waurika News-Democrat (Waurika, Okla.)

Visit Waurika News-Democrat (Waurika, Okla.) at waurikanewsdemocrat.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services