The Yuma-1 Board of Education covered a lot of ground during its regular monthly meeting, Monday night in the Board Room at the District Office.
Board President Duane Brown and fellow board members Terri Cooper and John Deering were in attendance. Thomas Holtorf and Lyndsey Galles were absent.
The board approved the adopted budget for 2023-24 prior to the start of the new fiscal year on July 1.
It includes $8 million in the Beginning Fund Balance (reserves). The General Fund is set at $21.9 million, Special Revenue Funds at $482,342, Bond Redemption Fund at $2.85 million, Capital Reserve Capital Projects Fund $1.3 million, and the Pupil Activity Fund at $400,00. The total appropriation is $26.9 million.
The board was told there is enough funds left over to put $536,000 into capital projects.
“This is a good, solid budget without having to go into reserves, and being able to put $500,000 into capital projects,” Superintendent Dianna Chrisman said.
The second readings of policies dealing with Medically Necessary Treatment in School Setting, and Authorizing Private Health-Care Specialists to Provide Medically Necessary Treatment, were approved on 3-0 votes. The policies are in response to state legislation that local families testified in favor as it was moving through the Colorado Legislature.
District secretary Dani Crossland was approved as the designated election official for the school board election that will take place in November. There will be two seats up for election. The board also approved the Notice of Intent to Participate in the 2023 Coordinated School Election.
The board approved an amendment to the superintendent contract, dealing with a post retirement provision. Chrisman is under contract through June 30, 2025. However, she will retire as of June 30, 2024. She will be required to take off one month, then return for her final year. It was noted teachers frequently are on post-retirement contracts. The difference with administration is it can be done for only one year.
A policy dealing with Frequently Asked Questions for part-time enrollment was approved. Chrisman said there have been more requests for part-time enrollment, so the district came up with the FAQs document. Chrisman said the district is not required to allow part-time enrollment, but said there are certain circumstances that arise, so the new policy will provide the district flexibility for such requests.
The board approved increasing adult meal prices for 2023-24 to $3 for breakfast and $4.50 for lunch, which follows federal regulations.
The board approved a supplemental appropriation to the Student Activity Fund. The fund is being increased to $400,000 in the next fiscal year in order to avoid having to do a supplemental appropriation, as more was spent this fiscal year than initially budgeted.
Teaching staff
Chrisman told the board the only teaching position still needing filled is vocal music at Yuma Middle School.
Monday night, Mackenzie Baucke was approved as a third-grade teacher at Morris Elementary, and Tiffany Sprouse as fifth and sixth grade science teacher at Yuma Middle School. Karrie Mainord and Kassandra Willis were approved as YMS special education paras, and Marie McCasland as the registrar at Yuma High School. Approved as summer school teachers at YMS were Ann Godfrey, Lysondra Yost, Kent Chrisman, and Tonya Rodwell.
The Consent Calendar also a YHS FFA trip to an officer retreat at Lake McConaughy, June 26-27, the second and final reading of several policies, and the first reading of three others, as well as approval of the YHS, YMS and MES student handbooks.
New track
A new track will be installed at the YHS sports complex by the end of summer.
The district has been trying to get United Sports Systems out here since last year, but Chrisman said the company has been unresponsive.
Chad Rayl with CMR Consulting told the board he had some contacts he had worked with before, and has been able to get Renner Sports to agree to do it. He said Renner has done several college tracks, such as Oregon, Colorado, Kansas State and University of Nebraska.
The Renner crew will be able to get here in August, and work around the fall sports practices, with the hopes of having the project completed by the first home football game.
The track will be torn down to the base course. The cracking will be fixed, and then the new surface will be installed. Rayl said the track should last 10-12 years.
After walking the track with the coaches, the track will be a silver/gray color, with the exchange zones painted red. The jump areas also will be painted the silver/gray. There was talk about putting the “Y” logo with a winged foot at certain locations. However, Chrisman said it probably would be best until a new mascot is approved in the fall, at which point the district will receive a stencil that can be used to apply logos to various surfaces.
Renner’s base price is $249,900, with $31,000 more for the silver/gray and red painting, for a total of $280,900. The board unanimously approved the total cost. (It is not much more than the $250,000 the district was quoted a few years ago.)
Projects
The board received a projects update from Chad Rayl with CMR Consulting.
He said the crane needed for the HVAC installation for The Pit has had to be rescheduled five or six times due to the rain.
It is now due to be here Wednesday of this week.
The units will be lifted on to the Commons roof and installed. The crane also was to be moved to MES to install the condenser on the gym’s roof, providing air conditioning. Rayl said at MES the roof will be cut open where welding needs to be done, the steel will be set up, and then the condenser will be cranked up there.
As for the HVAC work for The Pit, the total project will not be completed until sometime in July. Preliminary work has been done, including welding, and the duct work inside The Pit is getting lined out. The duct work will take about two weeks to complete.
Progress continues with the lighting and sound upgrades in the YHS Auditorium. The new projection screen was unloaded earlier this week. Rayl said a crew will be onsite at the end of this month to slam through and get it done by early next month.
The district next will begin gathering numbers for seat upgrades, and a stage extension that could be done next summer.
The new bleachers in the YMS gym should be fully installed and operational by next month.
“I’m ready for all these projects to be finished,” Chrisman told the board.