Full agenda awaits MP School Board on Monday

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

The Mt. Pleasant School Board will have money on the mind Monday night as they hold a budget work session and discuss tuition rates for three-year-old preschool.

The school board discussed tuition rates during their Feb. 8 meeting, but decided to give the matter some more thought before settling on a tuition hike.

During the meeting, Interim Superintendent Dr. John Roederer said the program is costing the district more than expected. The voluntary three-year-old preschool program is not a requirement of the state, and as a result, the district does not receive any supplemental funding to run such a program. Currently, the tuition for the program is $45 per month. When all is said and done, the district is left with a deficit of nearly $32,000, which has been funded through the district?s general fund.

Roederer recommended increasing the tuition to somewhere between $120 to $130, which still would not fully cover the costs.

A motion was made to raise the tuition to $145 per month, but failed.

On Monday, the board will again discuss raising the tuition. The two options the board will have in front of them will be raising tuition to either $80 per month, or $138, which according to documentation, would make the program self sufficient.

The other money matter on the agenda is a budget work session.

Traditionally, school districts must have their budgets certified by April; this work session will allow the board to go through the budget line by line and discuss the various expenditures and revenue sources.

In other business, the board is also set to approve the superintendent?s contract for John Henriksen, as well as approve the second reading of the board?s vacation policy. The amendment to the policy would allow employees returning to the district to be given credit of years experience with the district when calculating vacation leave.

The board will also hear a presentation on understanding the instructional shifts and the Iowa Core State Standards.

The board will meet Monday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m., in the media center at the High School.