Clinton County Board of Education held a brief, but busy regular meeting Monday night with five of six members present. Among measures approved included setting tax rates and approving the 2016-17 work budget.

As had been discussed at a board work session the previous week, the board voted officially to accept the state compensating tax rate at 42.6 cents per $100 assessed value, the same as last year. Finance director Mike Reeves again noted the rate would generate about the same amount in property tax revenue as the previous year.

The board also approved the state set 53.0 cents per $100 on motor vehicle and three percent utility tax, all unchanged from a year ago.

Following the tax rates, the board approved the working budget of approximately $14.7 million, close to last year’s numbers and a more detailed article on the budget can be found in a separate article in this week’s NEWS, at the end of this regular meeting report.

The board opened the 20-minute session by recognizing retiring teacher Beverly Upchurch, who was unable to attend the meeting in person. She will be presented a plaque of appreciation for her years of service to the school district.

The board then approved several consent items, which included a family medical leave of absence for Joy Hatfield from August 17 through September 5; approved subsequent disbursements and voted to pay claims and bills.

Under student services, several field trips were approved including: field trips for the Early Childhood Center, Albany Elementary School, Clinton County Middle School and Clinton County High School; trips for Gifted and Talented; trips for Fitness Buddies Program (part of the Healthy Hometown Coalition): American Ninja Warriors Gym or Sky Zone in Lexington in May of 2017; a trip for Special Needs Students Fishing Derby at Wolf Creek Dam September 28; approval for GEAR-UP trips; and approval for Foothills Academy to the Kentucky Historical Society in Frankfort on October 11.

Following a brief finance report by Finance Director Mike Reeves, board chairwoman Paula Key presented the following monthly personnel report:

Certified retired: Beverly Upchurch, teacher, district-wide.

* Certified resignation: Miranda Stockton, teacher, Clinton County High School.

* Certified hired: Miranda Stockton, GEAR-UP academic specialist for the middle school and high school; Vivian Talbott, teacher at Foothills Academy; Katresa Collins, teacher at CCHS; Joshua Moons, Athletic Director at the middle school.

* Certified transfer: Jamie Cooksey from part-time home/hospital teacher to part-time preschool teacher.

* Substitute teachers: Tim Moons, Melissa Harris, Wendell Maupin and Connie Armstrong, all district-wide.

* Classified hired: Douglas Barney, assistant football coach, CCHS; Rocky Tallent, assistant football coach, CCHS; and Melanie Jones, Migrant Recruiter/Tutor.

* Classified resignation: Scottie Stockton, softball coach at Clinton County High School.

* Classified transfers: Lisa Garrett and Nicholas Spears from part-time to full-time bus drivers, district-wide.

The board also approved additional job description updates for the following positions: Superintendent, Assistant Superintendent, Supervisor of Instruction and Migrant Recruiter/Tutor.

The board then voted to establish an assistant athletic director position for the high school in the amount of $1,200, to be paid out of concession funds.

The Bulldog Virtual Academy program, geared to assist students who cannot attend school in a regular setting, was approved. The issue had been discussed at a previous work session and more details on the program will appear in a separate article in a later issue.

In other business, the board:

* Approved an agreement with Berea College and the school board in relation to the GEAR-UP program.

* Voted to enter into a contract for non-resident pupils between Clinton County and Barren County Schools for the 2016-17 school year.

* Approved a stipend of $3,000 for the District Technology Coordinator and adjust the Director of Special Education stipend to $3,000.

* Approved the purchase of a Combi oven from Manning Brothers in the amount of $16,614.66 to be paid from the food service fund.

The attendance report for the first month of school was then given by Director of Pupil Personnel Julie York. The attendance for the month, that ended August 25, was 94.12, down slightly from the first month a year ago when the ADA (Average Daily Attendance) was 96.79. The school with the highest attendance for the month was Albany Elementary, which had an ADA of 96.78 percent.

York also noted that September is High Attendance Month and initiatives are being taken that will hopefully keep school attendance high. She also noted that next Tuesday, September 20 is designated as High Attendance Day.

Superintendent Charlotte Nasief then gave the monthly superintendent’s report, noting the district is still concentrating on the new school year, but one major and successful initiative is the return of the four-day preschool program.

Nasief noted parents seemed pleased that the students now have a set three-hour daily schedule and added there were still slots for three-and-four year olds, so any parent with a child that age who would like to give their children an early educational start are urged to sign them up from the preschool program. Daily transportation to and from school is provided.

Nasief also said K-PREP test results would be released soon and the district continues to work on ways of improving student academic success and making every student proficient in their learning.

Another program the district is participating in is the governor’s dual credit initiative, which allows juniors and seniors at the high school level to take college courses, at half the cost of a college setting, that will apply to their college careers.

The next school board work session is scheduled for Thursday, October 13 at 4:30 p.m. and the next regular business meeting will be Monday, October 17 at 5 p.m., both at the Central Office board room and both open to the general public.

Board reviews working

budget during work session

The Clinton County School Board received a thorough review of the 2016-17 working budget during last Thursday afternoons monthly work session and most of the news about the budget was of a positive nature.

The majority of the one-hour and 20 minute session was spent reviewing the budget somewhat in depth with Finance Director Mike Reeves, who first touched on the proposed tax rates for the coming year.

Reeves noted the board would be accepting the compensating rate allowed, and the overall rate on personal property was proposed at 42.6 cents per $100 assessed value on property, which would mean the district would gain, in property tax revenues, about the same amount as last year.

Reeves added property valuation in the county last year actually decreased by $1.7 million in property values, while tangible property valuation went up.

The motor vehicle and watercraft tax will remain unchanged at .53 cents per $100 of assessed value, and the utility tax will again be at three percent.

The overall general fund budget for the district for 2016-17 will be $14,712,274, about the same amount as the previous year. Reeves noted the actual receipts and expenditures involving local funds amounted to about $11.4 million with over three million dollars included in the budget related to state and federal funds and grants that have to be included in the local district’s budget.

The finance director was very pleased with the current financial condition of the school district, noting things could change from year to year, depending on the amount of state funding, attendance rates which help produce revenue since the district is allotted state funds per pupil for per day attendance, and other factors.

“I think were are in very fair shape (financially), we had a good year,” said Reeves, adding, but we don’t know what’s going to happen in the future.

Reeves, in his review of the budget with board members, also praised food service director Georgia Rigney and the food services department, noting that the service had actually ended with an $80,007 carryover, which is definitely rare. He said the food service total budget was $1,647,607.

He also informed the board that changes would be forthcoming in January pertaining to employee taxes on retirement, which affects all state employees, and other benefit changes approved by the state legislature that may have minimal effect on employee pay and the overall budget.

Another positive about the 2015-16 year budget is the fact that the district ended with an over three percent amount in contingency funds. The minimum leftover allowed is two percent.

Reeves reviewed the budget, page by page, school by school, department by department, including areas of office spending, athletic department expenses, technology, custodial, and maintenance, to name a few.

He also noted some changes in line items, such as job descriptions, personnel changes and so forth that effects each particular area of the budget.

During the review, Reeves said he was also proud of the technology department and noted the district had saved money in the area of electricity and utilities partly as the result of recent upgrades done to school HVAC systems and other energy saving measures.

“I think we have a healthy balance this year,” Reeves said, but cautioned, “it probably won’t be as good news (next year) due to the economy. We have tightened our belts this year…I’m excited about the new budget.”

The board did take action on one item on the agenda last Thursday, including voting to approve the Supervision of Students Plan, along with approving the agenda prior to adjourning the meeting.

Superintendent Charlotte Nasief also conducted a non-action work session on the following topics: finance, tax rates, budget, field trips, job descriptions, a position, Bulldog Virtual Academy, GEAR-UP agreement, non-resident contract with other school districts, and personnel.

The Board of Education held its regular business meeting Monday evening, September 12 of this week and details of that session can be found beginning on page 1.