Ione pool funding discussed
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VOL. 119
NO. 15
IQPages
Wednesday, April 12,2000________ Morrow County, Heppner, Oregon
Volunteers enhance the community
The Morrow County School up a drive to promote passage of
Board Monday night discussed a the school district's local option
plan to transfer operation of the levy which would provide funds
lone School swimming pool to to rehire 10 teachers whose jobs
the Willow Creek Park District.
were lost
when the school
The school district, facing a district cut staff to balance the
budget shortfall, proposes that budget.
WCPD "take over the cost of
-heard a report from assistant
operating the lone Pool in the superintendent Mike Keown
same type of agreement that the concerning the "School Master”
Morrow County Recreation program. The School Master
district funds the extracurricular program would replace the
activities in the county."
current program for student
When the school district faced services, OTIS, which has
an earlier shortfall and proposed announced that it is going out of
cutting extracurricular activités business.
from the budget, voters approved
Student services programs
tax monies for the Morrow include
data
on
grades,
County Unified Recreation transcripts, immunization records
District to fund extracurricular and test scores.
activities such as sports, band
With the new program, the
and other community activities.
district could utilize CD Roms
The school board wants the supplied by school photography
park district to take over funding companies,
which
contain
for the pool, which has a 1999- student photos. The photos could
2000 budget of $18,967, be downloaded into the school
beginning July 1 of this year, system and matched with the
with
the
school
district student records for administrative
furnishing personnel, equipment, files.
materials and facilities for pool
Another feature of the new
operation.
system, which could be added
The park district, however, has later for an additional cost, is an
already gone through the automated calling system. With
budgeting process for the the new School Master program
upcoming year and has no funds and the upgrade, if a child is
absent from a class period or &
for additional expenditures.
Kim Cutsforth, a member of day, the automated system would
the Willow Creek Park Board of call parents to inform them of
Directors, says that the park the child's absence. Keown said
district has already committed that this feature would be used
for the 2000-2001 year and will primarily in the secondary
have no funds until the following schools.
year when it will make its last
-approved resignations for:
payment of around $18,000 to Carol Wilson, Sam Boardman
pay off a short term loan for Elementary School kindergarten-
construction overruns on the first grade teacher; Pat Quansa,
Willow Creek Water Park in Riverside High School Title I
Heppner.
assistant; and Kari Keown,
While the park district levies Heppner
High
School
around $74,000 a year, it also cheerleader advisor.
operates an RV park and a day
-approved employment for:
park at Willow Creek Lake in Helen Bliss, A.C. Houghton
addition to the Willow Creek Elementary
assistant cook,
Water Park.
Cutsforth said that in the
future, the park district expects to
have more money to be able to
fund
projects
in
other
Morrow County School District
communities.
has proposed a $21,823,080
In addition to paying off the - biidgeTTor th'e 2000-2001 year.
park district's short term loan, the The budget includes $ 16,213,418
district anticipates dramatically in the general fund.
reducing its outgo for heating
School Superintendent Bruce
costs at the Willow Creek Pool. Anderson, in his budget message
A pool cover to arrive in May, April 3, said that the budget was
purchased with SCERT tippage guided by district priorities to
fees, is expected to reduce maintain favorable class sizes,
heating costs by $4,000-$5,000 a move toward equity in the
month.
distribution of resources, help
"We all agree we want to do more students meet CIM
something
for
all
the standards and stay within the
communities," said Cutsforth. budget, as mandated by the state.
"We wish we had $24,000-
However, Anderson stressed
74,000. but the 74,000 is that the district "should move
completely used up. We can't do carefully in this shift of resources
anything this year. We're broke." to avoid creating another group
The school district proposal to of underserved students. Criteria
Willow Creek Park District other than class size and
specifies that starting July 1 of expenditures per student must be
this year, the remainer of the considered so that all students in
swim season will be funded the county have access to quality
through a "cooperative effort of educational programs"
the park district and the school
Financial policies included
district," in addition to around plans to discontinue the transfer
$4,600 from an lone community of funds from the general fund to
fund.
co-curricular activities and funds
In the school district's proposal, to provide flexibility to add
the school district seeks "a sum additional staff in Boardman and
not less that $15,000 for the Imgon should enrollment there
2001-2002 budget years" from increase.
the park district for pool
The budget also included
operation. In subsequent years, "place savers" to add additional
the proposal seeks payment to funds in the amount of around
school district from the park $500,000, should the local option
district "commensurate with the levy pass to hire back teachers
amount the school district has who were cut following the
expended for the lone Swimming budget shortfall.
Pool upon receipt of a bill of
The
resources for the
actual expenses."
upcoming year are $322,280 less
John Rietmann, school board that the current year,
after
member, said at the meeting adjusting for the local option due
Monday that he attended a to a reduction in the ending fund
meeting of lone community balance and lower than expected
members where the topic of state revenues.
"litigation" arose, since lone
If the local option passes or the
taxpayers contribute to the park district receives more money
district and some do not feel they from the state due to increased
receive benefits from the park e n r o ll m e n t ,
An de rs on
district.
recommends that the money be
Many people from lone carried over to the 2001-2002
initially opposed lone's inclusion budget.
in the park district and several
The school district estimates an
petitioned to be excluded from ending fund balance of $800,000
the district.
this year. The unappropriated
According to Cutsforth, the ending fund ($358,957) and
park district paid around $14,000 contingency
allocated
for
in legal fees to fight petitions to unforseen events ($300,000)
separate from the district. predicts an ending balance of
Cutsforth added that $10,000 was $658,957 which is around
given to the city of lone for $250,000 short of cash flow
remodeling the lone City Park needs for the 2001-2002 school
and stage for performances.
year.
In other business, the school
The proposed budget estimates
board:
an increase of around 41
-heard a report from Kathy students.
Neal, Boardman, who is heading
The 2000-2001 budget is
replacing Joyce Gordamer;
Deanna Hamilton, ACH ed
assistant, replacing Eleanor
Parker; Michelle Duncan-Luna,
temporary part-time one-on-one
special ed assistant for a position
as an aide with a new special
needs student; Linda Neumann, #
temporary part-time special ed
assistant for a new specai needs
student; Paula Post, Columbia
Middle School temporary full
time one-on-one special ed
assistant, for position as an aide
for a special needs student;
Carmen, SBE English as a
Second Language ed assistant. .
-approved extra duty contracts
for: Jason Just, Heppner Junior
High assistant track coach; Rick
Johnston, HHS assistant baseball
coach: Lindsay Harle, HHS
assistant softball coach; and
Ryan Rudolf, lone Middle
School assistant track coach.
-approved a promotion for
Kevin Toms, from RHS assistant
custodian to head custodian,
replacing Paul Gisi.
-approved a calendar change to
bring Morrow County Schools'
spring break into line with state
colleges and universities. Spring
break for the year 2001 will now
be held the last week in March,
from March 26-30.
-approved the 1999-2000 list
of classified and confidential
employees. Seme employees,
however, may not be rehired due
to budget constraints.
-heard the following
announcements: April 17-second
budget meeting at Riverside High
School, 7:30 p.m.; April 18-
Oregon
School
Boards
Association spring conference at
Pendleton Red Lion; April 19-
Facilities meeting, Heppner
Elementary School gym, 7:30
p.m.; April 24-third budget
meeting, lone Schools, 7:30 p.m.;
May 8-next board meeting,
district office, 7:30 p.m.
$22.8 million budget proposed
Volunteers with the Neighborhood Enhancement Team work on a sidewalk project Saturday, April 8,
in Heppner. The program, which is sponsored by the city of Heppner, allows volunteers to work on
projects to beautify and enhance the community, according to city manager Jerry Breazeale. In the
program, the city provides worker's comp insurance and liability insurance and furnishes needed
equipment. The first project underway was sidewalk construction in front of the Notson House in
Heppner. Property owners are responsible for the projects and must pay for the costs of materials, said
Breazeale. Call city hall, 676-9618, to volunteer to join the team or to be put on the sidewalk
replacement project list.
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approximately 80 percent salaries
and benefits, compared to 81
percent the previous year.
Salaries and benefits will
decrease $191,376 unless the
local option does not pass; in that
event salaries and benefits will
be reduced $691,376.
The upcoming year's buget
calls for:
-inclusion of $250,000 in
operating contingency to allow
addition of teaching positions to
equalize class size due to an
increase in student population.
-addition of $500,000 in local
option expenditures for 10
teaching positions.
-$100,000 to contract with
Union-Baker ESD for alternative
education.
-$25,000 for assessment and
additional contracted services for
handicapping conditions,
-addition of one teacher and 3.5
aides to accommodate growing
student population at all levels in
Boardman and Imgon.
-re-allocation of $25,590 for
summer school to improve
student performance in math and
reading at the elementary and
middle school levels. The funds
were previously budgeted for
Benchmark Booster Days,
-addition of $24,500 for student
accounting services for a new
student accounting program. The
funds will be reimbursed by
ESD.
-inclusion of $31,000 for
special ed transportation, because
of increased activity in the
service, which is mandated. The
money is reimbursed at a rate of
70 percent of cost.
-inclusion of $34,450 for
building improvement, of which
$30,000 is for the completion of
the remodeling project of
Heppner Elementary
office
space. Funds for this project will
be transferred fom the old bond
levy account, which will be
closed upon completion of the
project.
Co-cumcular activities will be
reduced by $24,806 with a "real
reduction of approximately
$68,000 in programs." Major
program reductions include golf,
cheerleading, middle school
track, C-team basketball, FFA
and "severe reductions in
supplies and equipment." No
general fund dollars will be
allocated to this fund as in the
oast