Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
Warsaw School Board will hold its first public hearing Monday on the 2005 budget.
This year's budget totals $50,430,102, an increase of $478,769 over last year's budget of $49,951,333.
Included in this year's budget are several increases in the general fund for administrative personnel. Specifically, it includes: an additional $28,695 for support personnel at Warsaw Community High School; an additional $48,799 for the vocational education director's position; $29,540 more for school psychologists; $15,040 more for autism/assistive tech; an additional $20,492 for Washington Elementary office staff, $24,213 more for Eisenhower office staff and $1,423 for Madison office staff; $40,000 for a human resources and payroll director, a new position; an additional $27,005 for maintenance secretary pay; and $11,435 more for a CIMC (administration building) custodian.
Another new expense this year is $7,400 for "travel - high school."
The total of the additional expenses listed above is $254,042.
Another increased expense is health insurance, which cost $2.7 million in 2002, $3.5 million in 2003, $4.4 million in 2004 and is budgeted at almost $5 million for 2005.
Unemployment compensation, which has stayed at a steady $5,000 since 2002, is budgeted at $11,494 for 2005. Workers' compensation is requested at $268,251 for this year - in 2002, workers' comp was $63,000, in 2003 it was $75,000 and in 2004, it was $175,000.
The agenda also includes discussion of an appeal by the school board to the state to recover a $689,759 levy shortfall due to "erroneous assessed valuation" in 2004. The board will request the appeal to be considered by the Department of Local Government Finance commissioner without a recommendation by the School Property Tax Control Board.
Finally, the board will discuss disposition of the Silver Lake, Claypool and Atwood school buildings. Superintendent Dr. Dave McGuire will recommend offering the buildings and properties to their townships, and if they do not respond or do not accept the property, he recommends that Warsaw Community Schools sell the property.
The board will meet at 7 p.m. Monday at the administration building. The meeting will be preceded by an executive session to discuss litigation and personnel and evaluations.
