WACO seeks additional allowable growth

By Brooks Taylor, Mt. Pleasant News

WAYLAND ? Small school districts always are on the lookout for additional financial resources.

Count the WACO Community School District in the group. During Monday night?s regular board meeting, directors approved submitting an application to the School Budget Review Committee for nearly a $110,000 in allowable growth.

Allowable growth is synonymous with spending authority. Spending authority is akin to a credit card in that a school district cannot exceed its spending authority during a fiscal year, regardless of cash reserves. Consequently, the larger the spending authority, the brighter the financial picture.

Much of WACO?s request is for an additional 16.3 student open-enrolled out of the district this year. A school district receives $6,591 in allowable growth per student this fiscal year, and WACO is asking for just over $107,000 in spending authority for the open-enrolled out students.

Other action during the half-hour meeting included the awarding of the snow removal bid. The board would prefer that a school employee uses school equipment to remove snow. However, if no one steps forward, the district would approve Dennis Donaldson?s bid at $60 an hour. Donaldson did snow removal last year and was paid $350 each time snow was removed.

Personnel matters saw the board approve the resignation of Shawna Shettler, high school associate.

A final agenda item had the board approving Haley Newman?s request for early graduation.

WACO board members meet again in regular session Monday, Dec. 18, at 6:30 p.m.in the junior/senior high school media center.