HomeMy WebLinkAbout02-05-2020 Fairhope Public Schools Commission Meeting MinutesFairhope Public Schools Commission
February 5, 2020
Members present: Ken Cole, Robin Coleman, Danielle Mashburn-Myrick, Carrie
McLemore, Hill Robinson, Miranda Schrubbe, Cornelius Woods
Members absent: Tonya Bosarge, Robert Brown
Baldwin County Public Schools: Board Member Cecil Christenberry, CSFO John
Wilson
Principals present: Julie Pierce, Patrice Wolfe
Guests: Joe Kelly, James Watkins
Ken Cole opened the meeting, welcoming members and guests. A motion was made
and passed to approve the minutes of the January 8 th meeting of the commission.
After sharing biographical information about Chief School Financial Officer John
Wilson, Ken Cole invited Mr. Wilson to present an overview of the special 3-mill tax
funding to be overseen by this commission.
Timing
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The fiscal year (FY 2021) begins on October 1; Ba ldwin County Board of
Education will advance funding for the first year of the special tax so that
approved budget items can be covered before the collection of tax revenues.
Assessments will be sent out in the spring, tax bills will be sent out in
October, and tax collection will take place from December 2020 through
February 2021. An updated estimate for the amount of revenue expected will
be available from the revenue commissioner this June, but Mr. Wilson
indicated that $2 million is a good number to work from at this time. The
estimate given in June is usually overstated, so Mr. Wilson will calculate a
realistic projection at that time.
To align with the school system's budgeting process, recommendations for
expenditures should be made by the end of July, to be included in the first
public budget hearing in August. Budget is to be approved by September 15t h
then sent to the state.
• It was suggested that requests from principals for expenditures for personnel
be made by April so the commission can approve requests prior to a job fair
to be held in April and hires can be made for the start of the 2020-2021
school year.
• For accounting purposes, purchases of materials/supplies should not be
made until October 1s t or later.
• Two budget amendments are allowed by the state during the fiscal year: one
on January 15th, with final requests for changes needed in December; and one
on June 15th , with final requests for changes needed in May.
Approved Expenditures
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Revenues from the special tax are to be used for "Educational Purposes."
Though generally understood to include materials, supplies, equipment, and
personnel, this could be broadly interpreted, and revenues might feasibly be
spent on capital projects considered to be necessary for, or in support of,
educational purposes.
Personnel can be hired with the special tax funding, if requested positions
are beyond what is already being provided . It is recommended that these be
specialized teacher positions to avoid any remote chance of supplanting.
However, a regular classroom teacher could be funded, but the request
would have to be reviewed to ensure it is definitely over and above what the
county normally provides.
Temporary positions, which are non-renewed at the end of the school year
but can be re-hired again as temporary, can be funded. These employees are
paid in the same manner and receive benefits just as a regular teacher,
though they do not automatically earn tenure status. EAC-funded positions
have been administered under this format.
• It should be noted that a retired teacher can work under an hourly contract
to provide tutoring or other services, but his/her total compensation must be
capped at $31,000 in a calendar year for that employee to still receive their
state teacher pension. There is a list of approved pay rates for these
positions, and the commission can set a special rate if desired, with Mr.
Wilson's guidance.
• Permanent positions can be funded, but with special attention to potential
for tenure and the term of the special tax. The commission in place in the
final years of the 30-year period will need to consider the extent to which
tenured positions could continue to be funded before approving any new
permanent hires.
• Items that would incur extra liability, require special service contracts for
maintenance, or where there is any question about additional
costs/responsibility for the school system will need a closer look, but can
usually be approved.
• All expenditures will need to fit in existing categories and the 28-digit codes
assigned to budget items.
Other Items of Note
• Expenses in the amount of $27,492.39 for the special election in September
2019 are to be repaid to the school system from the tax collections.
• Funds from the special tax can be carried over from year to year. Also , a
reserve account can be funded.
• The FPSC will approve expenditures funded by an annual payment of
$300,000 to be made for 5 years by the City of Fairhope to the Baldwin
County Public Schools for the purchase of the K-1 property. Payment will be
due on June 30th .
• Two separate accounts will be maintained by the school system for the FPSC:
one for the revenues from the special tax, and one for the proceeds from the
K-1 property purchase. Accounts will earn interest and be audited yearly.
• Requests for commission -approved expenditures are to be sent to the
superintendent, either detailed in a letter or email, or by forwarding the
minutes of the meeting at which the ex penditures are approved.
• Mr. Wilson can generate weekly, monthly, or quarterly reports for the
commission .
• To address any concern that the special tax funding might supplant, rather
than supplement, regular funding of Fairhope schools, Mr. Wilson shared that
there is a method already established to show that Title I funding allocated to
various individual schools is not used in place of regular funding. This is a
chart that can be populated with the current and relevant numbers , and
provided as needed, if the commission is challenged on this point.
At the conclusion of this presentation, the principals in attendance were a sked what
they are considering including in their respective requests. Mrs. Wolfe (JLN) is in
need of an additional social worker or guidance counselor, a STEM coach or a ½
STEM coach and a½ reading intervention coach , and an art teacher. Mrs . Pierce said
that the reconfiguration of her school to a K-6 campus is going to change the
allocation of her teacher units, so her personnel needs are still being determined;
she will be focusing on materials for intervention and renovating the contents of the
library to meet the needs of the additional grade levels.
The next meeting of the FPSC will be on March 4 th at 4:30. Renee Carter, Dean of
Academics of Baldwin County Public Schools, will be present to discuss the county's
academic plans.
Meeting was adjourned at 5:40.
Respectfully submitted by Miranda Schrubbe