Jim Evans, director of finances, addresses the school board.
SYRACUSE — A special Wawasee School Board meeting held Tuesday, July 30, in Syracuse began the annual budget process. A budget work session was part of the agenda for the board meeting.
Jim Evans, director of finances for the Wawasee Community School Corporation, reminded the board a new process is now used to formulate the budget as mandated by the state. It went into effect in January.
Evans noted there are now three funds making up the budget — education, which funds primarily instructional positions; operations, which includes what used to be the general, capital projects and bus replacement funds; and debt service, which was used in the previous budget process. He noted the operations fund is funded almost entirely by property taxes, but some funds can be transferred from the education fund. Education is funded almost entirely by the state and debt service is funded by property taxes.
Operations is a capped fund but Wawasee will see a 3.5 percent increase this year, Evans said. He noted the new budget process allows for more flexibility overall, “but there are more hoops to jump through.”
Approval was given by the school board to advertise the budget with the flexibility to make minor changes as needed.
In other business, the board approved awarding Strahm Building Solutions a $107,302 bid to renovate the family and consumer sciences room at Wawasee Middle School. Work is scheduled to begin Wednesday, July 31, and will include new floor tiles, new cabinets, some new appliances, painting and removing the old chalkboard.
Anticipated completion date is no later than the first week of school barring any complications.
Other agenda items included:
• Out of state or overnight trips were approved for the International Thespian Society to Fishers and Wawasee FFA to Trafalgar, Ind.
• Katy Stoller was approved as an appointment to the Milford Public Library Board of Trustees.
• Approval was given to transfer Jon Reutebuch from social studies teacher at Milford Middle School to the same position at Wawasee High School.
• And the resignation of Jeremiah Paseka, welding instructor, was approved effective July 23. No replacement has been named yet.