Milton district debates how to spend $117,000
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Bernard J. Nikolay
MILTON — The Milton School District is grappling with a dilemma many school districts would envy: What do you do with a non-budgeted surplus of money?
Milton was one of several districts statewide that last month was awarded money through the Federal Jobs Funds Allocation, a program designed to create and retain jobs. The money must be spent in the next two years.
The district received $727,000 through the award. Superintendent Bernie Nikolay on Monday called the award “unexpected money.”
“We are able to create some jobs areas where we have been on a wish list for a long time,” he said.
On Monday, the school board approved dedicating $610,000 of the award funding for several full- and part-time teaching positions, including $76,000 annually for a full-time “Instructional Coach” to improve teaching practices and $70,000 annually for a science teacher and math teacher at the high school.
That leaves the district with $117,000. Officials say they plan to discuss whether to spend the surplus on two key areas:
-- Startup costs for a possible 4-year-old kindergarten program as early as 2011.
-- Hiring a social worker, which the school district is currently without.
“Our district doesn’t have somebody who goes out and checks on kids,” board member Al Roehl said Monday. “I think the economy right now especially dictates that we need one.”
Nikolay acknowledged Monday the district has seen a rapid increase in students eligible for free-reduced lunch, a touchstone administrators use to gauge overall poverty in a district.
Nikolay said the surplus would only fund a social worker for one school year and part of another, and another official said it would pay for only part of the cost of starting a 4K program.
In a separate interview, Director of Special Education Krista Jones said it would cost the district $600,000 to $800,000 to start a 4K program. She said most 4K programs in the state cost school districts money in their first and second years, but they make money in future years partly because districts begin to see bigger payouts in state aid that comes with increased student enrollments.
Jones said the demand for a 4K program could total 120 students.
The school district has proposed a 4K program before, most recently in 2009. But the board voted that proposal down on a 3-3 tie, with some board members citing a lack of funding and need for the program.
Parents and some private daycare providers opposed the program because of concerns the public 4K housed at local daycares would force parents to choose between religious instruction and free preschool.
It’s not clear how many jobs a 4K program would retain or create in the district, officials said.
Under the 4K plan the district is working on, instruction would still take place at off-site daycares, some of which are privately owned. This is how the Edgerton School District runs its 4K program, Jones said.
Jones said there is now some open space at schools in the district. She added that officials also are considering the option of running the program in-house.
Sep 16, 2010 at 11:04 a.m.
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JustAskMe: Yeah, darn that plan to somewhat offset a near depression.
Big union scam. Geez. So, the Bush tax cuts were the just a big Bush/rich guy scam. Hmmm...that must be right.
Sep 15, 2010 at 3:04 p.m.
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just as I thought - another Obama/union scam.
Sep 15, 2010 at 3:03 p.m.
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Does the Federal Jobs Funds Allocation just pay for ONE YEARS' salary? - who pays for the future years' salaries?
Sep 15, 2010 at 11:35 a.m.
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Also,
I do have to applaud the school board on being able to do what they needed and still have money to spare. It does seem like they have used the grant wisely.
Sep 15, 2010 at 11:33 a.m.
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Well,
I believe that if you are looking for ways to spend money, then it is not being spent wisely.
How's that old saying go? A fool and his money are soon parted. If you don't NEED the money, give it back to be used for other things.
Sep 15, 2010 at 10:31 a.m.
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JC - I see your point about prolonging the recession, but for those who get the jobs I think a steady income for a couple years beats unemployment or no income at all.
Sep 15, 2010 at 10:07 a.m.
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how about "Don't!"
Sep 15, 2010 at 9:30 a.m.
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jcommon-with a grant the money either needs to be spent or the district will lose it. So I say spend it, but spend it wisely. I personally believe that a social worker looking out for the well-being of our children is far more important than starting a 4K program.
Sep 15, 2010 at 9:04 a.m.
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Stubby, I kind of thought that, but this only prolongs the recession. Putting people to work for an extra year and then having to lay them off later is not a very good idea to me. It just pushes out the unemployment to another year at the expense of future generations taxes. Heck, if you don't need it, then give it back so it can be given to another school district. This "use it or loose it" mentality again it counter productive.
Sep 15, 2010 at 8:39 a.m.
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JCcommon - if you read the article, you find that this is federal grant money that can only be spent on new employees. The district cannot save these dollars or spend them on other budget items (like parking lots), but must use the grant to create and pay for new positions (which means more people working - a good thing!)
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Check the district's website and you'll see that the positions are listed as one-year jobs. That means that the district is making no commitment to employ these people beyond the grant. Most of these jobs represent help that was desperately needed, but not affordable. With luck in 2 years when the grant runs out, the economy will be better and the enrollment up to support keeping these people employed.
Sep 15, 2010 at 8:26 a.m.
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I think this quote says a lot about how schools are running right now: "but they make money in future years partly because districts begin to see bigger payouts in state aid that comes with increased student enrollments." Does Krista Jones realize that this "state aid" is TAXPAYER money? This is the type of mentality that needs to be changed.
Sep 15, 2010 at 8:16 a.m.
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What is wrong with just saving the money? Nope, just spend spend spend.
Sep 15, 2010 at 7:56 a.m.
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So how do we pay for all these new positions after the grant runs out?
Sep 15, 2010 at 7:41 a.m.
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"Jones said there is now some open space at schools in the district. She added that officials also are considering the option of running the (4-K) program in-house." This is only an option now because there is space left from not hastily closing Consolidated without contemplating costs of retrofitting when they need the space in the fure.
Sep 15, 2010 at 1:19 a.m.
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im sure it won't go to take care of what we have. they will blow the money on something and then turn to the city and say WE NEED MORE or we should'nt have spent it on that.
Sep 14, 2010 at 8:59 p.m.
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I see a new parking lot in the H.S. future!
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