Whitko Passes Resolutions To Shore Up Finances
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
SOUTH WHITLEY - To keep the schools going financially, the Whitko Community School Corp. Board of School Trustees approved two resolutions Monday.
The first resolution allows the school corporation to roll over their tax anticipation warrants at the end of the year if the school corporation doesn't receive all their tax dollars.
The second resolution, which is approved annually, allows the school corporation to borrow money next year for cash flow purposes until the school corporation receives its tax draws.
According to director of finance Dr. Phil Menzie, as of Oct. 31, the school corporation, in the general fund, collected 28.10 percent of the local property tax; 99.76 percent of the 2003 local property tax; 49.76 percent of the 2004 financial institutions tax; and 60.02 percent of the license excise tax.
Kosciusko County property taxes were due Nov. 10, but Whitley County's property taxes aren't due until Dec. 9. Menzie said that Dec. 9 is not good with Christmas coming.
"It's going to be tough to get everything by the end of the year," Menzie said of Whitko's tax draw.
Bus drivers have asked the Whitko School Board to approve an "emergency sick leave bank" for them. The board did so unanimously.
According to superintendent Dr. Jeff Hendrix, participating drivers place one of their sick days in a "bank" that allows other bus drivers to use it, if a committee approves. Bus drivers receive four sick days a year, but once they use them up, any more sick days become a loss of pay.
Once a bus driver places a sick day into the bank, they can't get it back unless they are the driver in need of an extra sick day.
"It's a way to help our bus drivers when they're in dire straits," said Hendrix.
A committee of five to six bus drivers make recommendations on who to give the sick days to and administers the bank.
In other business, the school board:
• Heard about the Veterans Day program at Whitko High School that was student led, directed and written. "It was a great program. I enjoyed it. I was impressed by the students," said Pete Mitchell, board member.
Board member E. Marie Trump agreed, saying, "It was so well done. I was so impressed."
At Pierceton Elementary School, principal Ruth Jones said for their Veterans Day program, an Army recruiter who had served in Iraq spoke to the students. The school also was presented with a flag.
Four soldiers joined the students at Whitko Middle School for Veterans Day, principal Jerry Klausing reported. There also was a flag presentation.
• Held the first reading of board policy revisions. A second reading will be held in December and the recommendation for adoption in January.
• Heard from Jones and Klausing about a conference they attended in Denver, Colo., regarding curriculum mapping. Jones said the curriculum mapper "is just a plan on how you plan to teach all the Indiana standards" that started at Whiko "a couple of years ago."
• Heard from the South Whitley Elementary School PTO that students raised approximately $15,000 through the new school fund-raiser.
The PTO is looking into sponsoring a family game night sometime after Christmas but before spring.
The next SWES PTO meeting is Dec. 6 at 3:15 p.m.
• Approved the employment of Gary McKibben as the junior varsity baseball coach at WHS; John Strayer, ninth-grade boys basketball coach, WHS; Lance Hershberger, head baseball coach, WHS; and Steve McManama, JV basketball coach, WHS.
• Approved the driver education program.
Members of the Whitko School Board are Michael Braddock, Hal Trump, Dave Tranter, E. Marie Trump and Pete Mitchell. They meet at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month. [[In-content Ad]]
SOUTH WHITLEY - To keep the schools going financially, the Whitko Community School Corp. Board of School Trustees approved two resolutions Monday.
The first resolution allows the school corporation to roll over their tax anticipation warrants at the end of the year if the school corporation doesn't receive all their tax dollars.
The second resolution, which is approved annually, allows the school corporation to borrow money next year for cash flow purposes until the school corporation receives its tax draws.
According to director of finance Dr. Phil Menzie, as of Oct. 31, the school corporation, in the general fund, collected 28.10 percent of the local property tax; 99.76 percent of the 2003 local property tax; 49.76 percent of the 2004 financial institutions tax; and 60.02 percent of the license excise tax.
Kosciusko County property taxes were due Nov. 10, but Whitley County's property taxes aren't due until Dec. 9. Menzie said that Dec. 9 is not good with Christmas coming.
"It's going to be tough to get everything by the end of the year," Menzie said of Whitko's tax draw.
Bus drivers have asked the Whitko School Board to approve an "emergency sick leave bank" for them. The board did so unanimously.
According to superintendent Dr. Jeff Hendrix, participating drivers place one of their sick days in a "bank" that allows other bus drivers to use it, if a committee approves. Bus drivers receive four sick days a year, but once they use them up, any more sick days become a loss of pay.
Once a bus driver places a sick day into the bank, they can't get it back unless they are the driver in need of an extra sick day.
"It's a way to help our bus drivers when they're in dire straits," said Hendrix.
A committee of five to six bus drivers make recommendations on who to give the sick days to and administers the bank.
In other business, the school board:
• Heard about the Veterans Day program at Whitko High School that was student led, directed and written. "It was a great program. I enjoyed it. I was impressed by the students," said Pete Mitchell, board member.
Board member E. Marie Trump agreed, saying, "It was so well done. I was so impressed."
At Pierceton Elementary School, principal Ruth Jones said for their Veterans Day program, an Army recruiter who had served in Iraq spoke to the students. The school also was presented with a flag.
Four soldiers joined the students at Whitko Middle School for Veterans Day, principal Jerry Klausing reported. There also was a flag presentation.
• Held the first reading of board policy revisions. A second reading will be held in December and the recommendation for adoption in January.
• Heard from Jones and Klausing about a conference they attended in Denver, Colo., regarding curriculum mapping. Jones said the curriculum mapper "is just a plan on how you plan to teach all the Indiana standards" that started at Whiko "a couple of years ago."
• Heard from the South Whitley Elementary School PTO that students raised approximately $15,000 through the new school fund-raiser.
The PTO is looking into sponsoring a family game night sometime after Christmas but before spring.
The next SWES PTO meeting is Dec. 6 at 3:15 p.m.
• Approved the employment of Gary McKibben as the junior varsity baseball coach at WHS; John Strayer, ninth-grade boys basketball coach, WHS; Lance Hershberger, head baseball coach, WHS; and Steve McManama, JV basketball coach, WHS.
• Approved the driver education program.
Members of the Whitko School Board are Michael Braddock, Hal Trump, Dave Tranter, E. Marie Trump and Pete Mitchell. They meet at 7:30 p.m. on the third Monday of every month. [[In-content Ad]]