Mt. Pleasant School Board discusses tuition hike for preschool

BY KARYN SPORY

Mt. Pleasant News

What should a district do when a non-state funded program isn?t covering expenses? Should the district scrap the program or raise fees?

That?s the question the Mt. Pleasant School Board found themselves asking Monday night regarding the district?s three-year-old preschool program.

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.

Currently, tuition for the program is $45 per month. However, with roughly 51 students, the total annual revenue is only $20,655, while total expenditures is $52,548. That leaves a deficit of nearly $32,000, which has been funded through the district?s general fund.

?What I?m recommending to you tonight is we look at an increase in tuition,? said Interim Superintendent Dr. John Roederer. ?You could go as high as you wanted, but to cover the costs, it (tuition) would have to be around $145 a month per student. What I?m recommending is somewhere around $120 - $130, but it still won?t cover the cost.?

Terry Mertens, preschool teacher, said preschool is looking to cut down on the number of students from approximately 51 to 32 students.

?The finance committee worked with this and the concern they had was we?re losing approximately $32,000, which is being paid for out of the general fund. This means the general fund is being robbed of money that could be put towards regular instructional programs,? said Board President David McCoid. ?The feeling of the finance committee is this program should be pretty much self-supporting.?

Director Dave Christensen said although he sees the value in the program, you had to think about what classroom or program required by the state could have used those funds.

Director Chuck Andrew asked if parents would still put their three-year-olds in the program if tuition were raised to $145.

?I don?t know,? responded Mertens. ?I understand the dilemma, but I think even $100 (tuition) is pushing it.?

Andrew made a motion to increase tuition for the 2016-17 school year to $145. Directors Karl Braun, Andrew and McCoid voted in favor of the measure, while directors Melinda Huisinga, Christensen and Jennifer Crull voted no. Director Joy Conwell abstained from the vote as she present via video conference and felt she wasn?t able to hear the full debate. After the measure failed, Conwell requested the item be tabled until the next meeting.

In other business, the board:

? Approved Danielle Haindfield, of Ahlers and Cooney Attorneys, in Des Moines, as the board?s attorney for personal matters. Haindfield would replace Toby Gordon who resigned.

? Approved not renewing the district?s contract for technology services with Availance LLC., after the contract runs out July 31, 2016. The board has instead decided to support the district?s computer and internet services internally beginning July 1, 2016. Roederer stated handling the technology in-house would require hiring two individuals.

? Approved the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report.

The next meeting of the Mt. Pleasant School Board will be Monday, Feb. 22, at 6 p.m., in the High School media center.