School board approves revision to $24M budget

Tecumseh School Board members approved the first revision of the 2013-2014 fiscal year budget during the Monday, Feb. 10 meeting, with General Fund revenues now projected to be $24,069,274, and General Fund expenditures at $24,257,256. The budget was originally adopted just prior to July 1, 2013, and may be revised as necessary throughout the school year.In a memo prepared for the board members, Judy Pfund, Director of Business Services, noted the reasons for the increase in revenues were two-fold. The Tecumseh School district is receiving an increased allocation of Special Education reimbursement as well as full reimbursement for transportation costs for transporting the district’s TECH Center students. Pfund also pointed out that while the district’s fall pupil count was less than anticipated, Best Practice and a one-time Equity Payment were passed at a higher per-pupil amount than calculated into the original budget. Pfund said the increase in anticipated expenditures was in part due to step and lane changes or “One-Time Off-Schedule Compensation payments” that staff received this year. She said that expense was offset when the district did not need to use the full approved amount for textbooks for grades K-8, to the Affordable Care Act being postponed, and to a reduction in budgeted reimbursements to Graduation Alliance, an alternative graduation program.The district also had a fund equity as of July 1, 2013 of $4,932,781, which was expected to decrease by $187,982 for a total projected ending fund equity of $4,744,799, or 19.56 percent of expenditures. During the early portion of the meeting, board members were recognized and thanked by several contingents of the district as part of January’s School Board Recognition Month since the January meeting was canceled due to weather. Elementary students from Herrick Park and Patterson schools, with their principal Robyn Francis, presented large posters containing names and self-portraits of students and Sutton Elementary Principal presented an artistic wreath containing thumbprints and signatures of students. Tecumseh Acres Elementary School Principal Carl Lewandowski showed a video where students thanked the board for various things, including snow days. Three youths representing Tecumseh Middle School Builders Club presented signed thank you cards, and four teens from Tecumseh High School added their thanks for the board’s support of their programs. Lori Spotts, President of the Tecumseh Education Association, said, “As educators, we’re proud to work for Tecumseh Public Schools,” after thanking the board for their commitment to students.In other business, the school board members:• Heard a presentation from Heather Masten about Communities in Schools for the Tecumseh Area, who shared programs being worked on in the schools by Diane Savoia at the high school, Cindy Hook at the middle school, Rhonda Tinsley at Tecumseh Acres, and Tracy Hedrick at the other elementary schools, including academic support, a clothes closet for those in need, and peacemaking classes and Friday Food packs at the elementary level.• Accepted a gift of $2,000 from the Elizabeth Ruthruff Wilson Foundation which funded a trip to the Adrian Symphony for the district’s fourth grade students.• Learned more about an overnight trip for Tecumseh Middle School students to Gettysburg in June, this year to include a trip into Washington, D.C. and Mt. Vernon. Four students will have the honor of placing a wreath at Arlington National Cemetery, and will be selected through an essay contest.• Heard from Supt. Kelly Coffin that the district currently will have to make up four days for which there was no school due to bad weather. • Heard a report from Tecumseh Middle School teachers and Todd Thieken, Director of Curriculum and Technology, regarding Flipped Classrooms and an Innovative Secondary Schools Initiative (ISSI) report. (See related story on page 1.)