In a rare holiday session, the Clinton County Board of Education held a special call meeting on Memorial Day afternoon, Monday, May 27 with all members present.

Superintendent Charlotte Bernard said the meeting was called for because all members could be present and it was a non-workday for the board members.

There were three items of business on the agenda, with the primary issue being the approval of the tentative 2013-14 fiscal year budget. A draft budget had been presented without the necessity of action back in January.

The total budget on paper for this fiscal year is just over $13 million. However, Superintendent Bernard explained that around $2.8 million of that total amount was something of a pass-through item the state is now requiring to be added. The state employee health insurance, which is listed as both a revenue and expenditure, had to be added this year.

Otherwise, the total budget is practically the same amount as last year, being a total of $10,769,291.

The actual working budget which the school district has to live by, will be approved in September.

The board discussed some aspects of the current year’s estimated budget and it was noted that the totals have remained the same over the past three years.

They also discussed ways to reign in expenses without having to reduce personnel, as many school districts across the state have had to do in recent years due primarily to lower state funding and the overall economy.

Bernard told the board that SEEK funds from the state for this current school year are $84,000 less than the previous year, and it doesn’t look as if the financial outlook from the state funding standpoint is going to improve any time soon.

Board member Kevin Marcum also said he felt one problem with federal grants that are approved and received is that after the terms of those grants expire–for example a five-year grant–the district winds up with additional employees.

Most board members agreed that in those situations, grant-related positions should be filled by persons who were almost ready to retire after the grant period is up to cut back on over-staffing, or having to make cuts in other areas.

Superintendent Bernard told the board that over the next school year, her primary focus was going to be on “instruction and attendance.” She said the more time students are in school, the more funds the district is able to receive from the state and also noted the school district would have to look for every dollar it could get at this point.

Following the discussion, a motion to approve the tentative budget was made by board member Goldie Stonecipher and passed by unanimous vote.

The board, on a motion by chairwoman Paula Key, also approved a transfer to move $1,250,000 from the future construction fund code to an unassigned fund balance code for budgetary needs.

The board also approved, on a motion by board member Junior Cecil, an overnight trip for two FCCLA (Future Career and Community Leaders of America) students to Hardinsburg on June 11-12 for officer training.

Bernard also announced that the June meeting of the board would be switched and held later in the month, on Monday, June 24 at 5 p.m., making it a special meeting. The regular board meeting had originally been slated for two weeks sooner.