NORTH MANCHESTER - Manchester Community Schools Business Manager Steve Shumaker had good news and not-so-good news at the regular school board meeting Monday night.

First, he presented several pieces of good news.

Shumaker said the school received its final tax allotment from 2005 so he could close out the year's financial statements. Shumaker has been waiting for the allotment since late 2005.

He then announced to the board that the corporation earned $61,268 in interest last year. Shumaker attributed the interest growth to careful observation of accounts.

Finally, Shumaker told the board the cash balance in the general fund has reached $1.2 million, just under 12 percent of the corporation's total budget. When Shumaker was hired as business manager, his goal was to build the cash balance to $800,000 over time. Careful spending and frugal budgeting helped lead to the increase, he said.

"I call it a safety net," said Shumaker. It is good to have the extra cash "so we are able to absorb unexpected expenses."

Shumaker added, "We are completely current with everything. We no longer owe anybody anything. ... We ended up in better shape than I projected."

The not-so-good news?

"The 2006 budget is still not approved," said Shumaker. He told the board Wabash County was the last county to turn budget information in to the state, making it the last county to get its budgets worked over.

"Here we are a month-plus into the new year with no approved budget," Shumaker said.

That means the final budget is still up in the air until it is approved at the state level.

In other business, the board:

• Heard the Trane building improvement project is nearly finished. The air handler at the junior high was replaced and controls at all buildings were upgraded and/or replaced as needed. New towers for the school's network system are installed, but the network is not fully functional yet. All aspects of the project are expected to be finished by spring.

• Approved hiring Jeff Perry as girls basketball coach at Laketon Elementary School and Tim Baker as volunteer coach for the Science Olympiad at Manchester Junior-Senior High School.

• Approved maternity leave for Kim Meyer, resource teacher at Manchester Elementary School.

• Accepted the resignation of Terri Mathias as cook at Manchester High School and Kyle Wieland as assistant football coach at MHS.

• Approved amending a contract due to an oversight. Musical Drama-Instrumental Music Director Terry McKee will receive an extracurricular activity stipend for the 2005-06 school year.

• Accepted a $300 donation from the Tri Kappa Children's Support Endowment. The donation will be given to children of families residing in Chester or Pleasant Townships who are in crisis and have urgent financial needs.

• Approved professional leave requests for Bobbi Lautzenheiser to attend the IAHPERD Leadership Conference Feb. 10-11 in Spencer and Brandon Baker to attend the Single Wing Football Clinic March 3-4 in Wilkes-Barre, Pa.

Manchester school board members are Todd Speicher, Jan Fahs, Kent Terrill, Brian Schilling, Carlye McLaughlin and Steve Flack. Superintendent is Diana Showalter. Sally Krouse, president, was absent Monday night. [[In-content Ad]]