District has received 9.9% of budget through September 2009
Oct. 20 , 2009
Springfield Public Schools received revenue representing 9.9 percent of the total 2009-2010 budget through the end of September 2009, according to the treasurer’s report presented by the district’s chief financial officer Steve Chodes at the board of education’s Oct. 20 regular session. Through the end of September 2008, the district received 11.3 percent of the total budget. Chodes noted that difference was caused by a delay at the state level in distributing federal funds for special education.
Local property tax revenues, which comprise the majority of district revenues, were slightly below the level received at the same point last year. The district receives the bulk of local property tax revenue in January. State sales tax revenues were down as well. District officials budgeted for a decline in revenue received from state sales tax.
The district first quarter report was also presented as an information item at the meeting. The first quarterly report showed that 76.5 percent of SPS high school students taking the MAP end-of-course assessment for English II performed at a proficient or advanced level. More than 50 percent of students qualifying for free and reduced price lunch scored at the proficient or advanced levels on the communication arts portion of the MAP test. You can view the 2009-2010 first quarter report online.
Superintendent Norm Ridder reported that only nine students were absent on Monday, Oct. 19, at Delaware Elementary School. The district dismissed school at Delaware three days last week because of a high absentee rate due to students with flu-like symptoms. Dismissal allowed the district time to thoroughly clean the building and provide students time to get well in order to reduce the further spread of illness.
Other items from the board’s Oct. 20 regular session:
- The board adopted legislative priorities all focused on encouraging the Missouri Legislature and Governor to financially support public education.
- The purchase and installation of security cameras on all 145 district school buses was authorized.
- The board also renewed the district’s contract with St. John’s Health System to serve as the Preferred Provider Organization (PPO) for the district’s health plan.
- Missouri law requires school boards to approve transportation routes on an annual basis, and the board approved the district’s transportation routes for the 2009-2010 school year.
- The board renewed the district’s custodial services management contract with ARAMARK Facility Services. Wanita Watts was also introduced as the new director of nutrition services.
The agenda from the Oct. 20 regular session is available here.