STRATTANVILLE – The final 2016-17 budget for the Clarion-Limestone School District will mean a 1.1-mill increase in property taxes for Clarion County landowners.
As adopted at their June 15 meeting, the board approved a budget predicting revenues of $14.1 million, expenses of $14.56 million and a shortfall of $473,457.
This is an improvement over the preliminary budget as advertised in May, which predicted revenues of $13.9 million, expenditures of 14.7 million and a $736,236 shortfall.
After the vote to adopt the budget, board member Lee Stewart argued for keeping the property tax rate at 2015-16 levels.
Stewart’s vote was critical because four of nine board members – Molly Greenawalt, Jamie Mahle, Mike Meals and Ray Thiess – were absent. This meant a single “no” vote would defeat a motion.
Stewart said he felt the district could make it through the year without raising taxes by cutting spending.
He said it seems the district raises taxes every year and he does not see an end to it. “So we’re going to raise taxes every year until eternity?”
Board member Dave Schirmer said local tax increases would be needed until the state increases its allocations to schools.
“It boils down to this,” said board president Terry Leadbetter, “You have to pay for education.”
If the district doesn’t raise taxes this year, Leadbetter said, it will fall behind next year, and could be forced to ask voters to approve a tax increase above the state-set index limit.
“We looked at everything we could cut, said superintendent Mike Stimac, “and at this point, to cut the budget we will have to cut personnel.”
Stewart said he was elected to the school board last year to hold taxes down.
Leadbetter said four constituents told him the district should raise taxes. “We’re educating kids the right way. They see how good our kids are being educated and they don’t want that to stop.”
When a vote on the motion was called, Stewart took a long pause before voting to approve the tax hike.
Has the motion failed, the board would have had to live with the reduced tax revenues or call for a special meeting to reverse the vote.
Property owners in Clarion County will see a 1.1-mill increase to 59.53 mills; Jefferson County property owners will see a 4.45-mill increase to 39.35 mills.
Superintendent
Stimac had been acting superintendent for much of the 2015-16 school year, and now has a five-year contract as permanent district superintendent.
He was named to the acting superintendent post last September after former superintendent J.J. Johnson retired and the board began a search for a new superintendent the month before.
Stimac will receive a $100,000 salary for the 2016-17 school year, a $10,000 increase from his salary as acting superintendent.
“I’m looking forward to stepping up to the plate and learning what it takes to do this job,” he said.
With the state budget stalemate delaying allocations to school districts, and the C-L administrators in new positions in the 2015-126 school year, “It truly has been a good year and a stressful year,” Stimac said.
He thanked everyone in the district for their patience and support during a challenging period.
The board also changed the status of Doug Rodgers from acting high school principal to permanent high school principal.
Athletic director
Another single vote dilemma arose when board member Mike Ferguson voted against a supplemental contract naming Brad Frazier as athletic director.
Ferguson was apparently unhappy with the choice of Frazier as athletic director, and with a bare minimum quorum present, his vote was enough to defeat the motion.
The board considered tabling the matter, but Leadbetter said that would mean the board would have to hold a meeting in July or the district would have no athletic director for the summer.
Rodgers said summers are busy for the athletic director as there is much scheduling and other preparation to be done.
The board traditionally cancels its July meetings and toward the end of the meeting, an agenda item to do that retriggered the athletic director issue.
Since the discussion ventured into area of evaluating personnel, Leadbetter called for a closed executive session.
The board returned in about 20 minutes and voted unanimously to approve a supplemental contract for Frazier as athletic director for $8,500 and to approve Brandon Bell as volunteer assistant athletic director.
The board then voted to cancel its July meetings. Its next scheduled meetings are a work session Aug. 10 and a voting meeting Aug. 17.