Manchester Schools’ General Funds In Good Shape, Official Says
August 10, 2016 at 6:58 p.m.
By Keri Koenig-
The general funds are in good shape and the budget is on the right track, he said. Bumgardener said he found a way to cut $60,000 in costs for this school year alone. There are only two years left to pay off their current pension. If any new buses are needed this year or next, then the board would most likely be able to dip into the Capital Project Fund budget.
The Town of North Manchester requested an easement from Manchester Community Schools to build a parking lot on an area owned by MCS. The parks department built a new building behind the town’s pool and would like to have access to it from the north side. The easement has been negotiated for months and both sides have come to a beneficial agreement.
The town council approved of the plan Aug. 3. The school wants to negotiate the insurance since they will still be the owners of the land, but otherwise they approve as well. The town will be responsible for the property as a whole, but it has been maintaining the small patch of land for a number of years already. It would be a win for both MCS and the Town of North Manchester to share the property under the conditions proposed, the school board heard.
In addition, the school board has decided to sell the land that currently is Maple Park. “It is excess property that we maintain,” said Al Schlitt. The board will have to advertise at least 10 days prior to a public hearing. There will be a public hearing at the next school board meeting in September.
A collective bargaining agreement has been reached to hopefully gain more teachers with a master’s degree. By 2019 it will be a state requirement that to teach a dual-credit class, the teacher must have a master’s degree. A 2015 law passed to encourage teachers to get their master’s degree by offering $3,000 to a teacher’s salary every year. The Manchester School Board is already suspecting a shortage of teachers that will be needed by then.
Bumgardener stated that the board as a whole wants to give the teachers they already have what they deserve. The average salaries for a MCS teacher are going to rise $900 dollars. MCS teachers will now earn about $35,500 a year.
Teachers that have been with MCS for a year and longer will also receive classified pay. This will be an extra benefit that will be another small bonus for teachers in addition to their regular payroll.
Bill Reichhart said, “I appreciate the teacher’s association and we wanted to do more, but we are restricted.”
The schools have been preparing for the students’ return, whether it has been new pavement in the parking lots, new gutters, remodeled bathrooms, fresh mulch on the playgrounds, replacing gym lights with energy saving LED or MES’s new electric sign. The custodial crews have done a phenomenal job cleaning the buildings in the few weeks before the beginning of school, the school board heard. All that is needed is for the students to fill the quiet hallways Aug. 16.
The principal of Manchester Jr./Sr. High School, Dr. Jon Lippe, wanted to highlight a student’s achievements this summer at the Indiana State Fair. High school student Jade Michael was a three-time grand champion at the state level. She was most proud of her rabbit, and it was the best in show out of the 1,200 at the competition.
The general funds are in good shape and the budget is on the right track, he said. Bumgardener said he found a way to cut $60,000 in costs for this school year alone. There are only two years left to pay off their current pension. If any new buses are needed this year or next, then the board would most likely be able to dip into the Capital Project Fund budget.
The Town of North Manchester requested an easement from Manchester Community Schools to build a parking lot on an area owned by MCS. The parks department built a new building behind the town’s pool and would like to have access to it from the north side. The easement has been negotiated for months and both sides have come to a beneficial agreement.
The town council approved of the plan Aug. 3. The school wants to negotiate the insurance since they will still be the owners of the land, but otherwise they approve as well. The town will be responsible for the property as a whole, but it has been maintaining the small patch of land for a number of years already. It would be a win for both MCS and the Town of North Manchester to share the property under the conditions proposed, the school board heard.
In addition, the school board has decided to sell the land that currently is Maple Park. “It is excess property that we maintain,” said Al Schlitt. The board will have to advertise at least 10 days prior to a public hearing. There will be a public hearing at the next school board meeting in September.
A collective bargaining agreement has been reached to hopefully gain more teachers with a master’s degree. By 2019 it will be a state requirement that to teach a dual-credit class, the teacher must have a master’s degree. A 2015 law passed to encourage teachers to get their master’s degree by offering $3,000 to a teacher’s salary every year. The Manchester School Board is already suspecting a shortage of teachers that will be needed by then.
Bumgardener stated that the board as a whole wants to give the teachers they already have what they deserve. The average salaries for a MCS teacher are going to rise $900 dollars. MCS teachers will now earn about $35,500 a year.
Teachers that have been with MCS for a year and longer will also receive classified pay. This will be an extra benefit that will be another small bonus for teachers in addition to their regular payroll.
Bill Reichhart said, “I appreciate the teacher’s association and we wanted to do more, but we are restricted.”
The schools have been preparing for the students’ return, whether it has been new pavement in the parking lots, new gutters, remodeled bathrooms, fresh mulch on the playgrounds, replacing gym lights with energy saving LED or MES’s new electric sign. The custodial crews have done a phenomenal job cleaning the buildings in the few weeks before the beginning of school, the school board heard. All that is needed is for the students to fill the quiet hallways Aug. 16.
The principal of Manchester Jr./Sr. High School, Dr. Jon Lippe, wanted to highlight a student’s achievements this summer at the Indiana State Fair. High school student Jade Michael was a three-time grand champion at the state level. She was most proud of her rabbit, and it was the best in show out of the 1,200 at the competition.
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