No objections from public at Carroll budget hearing
By Jennifer Archibald Staff writer

Carroll School Board conducted public hearings on the 2008 budget, three-year Capital Projects Plan, and ten-year bus replacement plan at its regular board meeting Sept. 4.

No objections were raised by the public, and all three proposals were adopted as advertised. The $9,961,109 budget includes $6,748,395 for the General Fund, $1,575,089 for Capital Projects, and $642,674 for Debt Service.

If a Debt Service rate is approved by the state, monies collected will be used toward the future air conditioning project at the junior-senior high school, according to superintendent John Sayers. The Capital Projects Plan for 2008 shows a cumulative total of $900,000, also earmarked for the air conditioning project. Sayers said in a phone interview with the Comet on Monday that the corporation is building up funds for the estimated $2 million AC project, which includes piping, controls, and the chiller.

The Capital Projects Plan also is accumulating funds for the future renovation of the junior-senior high school science facilities. The allocation listed for 2009 is $900,000, and for 2010, $1,300,000. Sayers said the totals each year are cumulative.

The Capital Projects Plan totals, including the future allocations for CJSHS, are $2,475,089 for 2008, $2,325,500 for 2009, and $1,869,000 for 2010. The totals include funds appropriated for the elementary school, juniorsenior high school, administration building, and bus garage/agriculture building for each of the three years. Capital projects include such things as equipment purchase and maintenance, facility improvements, computers and technology updates.

Sayers explained that the three-year Capital Projects Plan is a work in progress and can be revised every year.

The budget, Capital Projects Plan, and Bus Replacement Plan will be adopted at the next board meeting, Sept. 18.

Any corporation spending that exceeds $5,000 must be approved by the board. Three such requests were made at the meeting, and all were approved: Handicapped accessible doors at the elementary and junior senior high school, $12,127; plumbing/piping work at the junior-senior high school, $7,865; and replace exterior doors at the pool, $36,784.

Two fundraising requests, one from the Family Resource Network and one from Cougar Blues, were tabled.

Ten conference and field trip requests were approved. The student field trips included the following:

Ed Geheb and Diane Goubeaux will take seniors to Washington, D.C., Oct. 1-2. Scot Collins, Pat Spence, Tyler Sausaman, Katie Seward, and David Kratz will take the seventh grade class to Camp Crosley in Webster Oct. 3-5. Joe and Pat Spence will take the Cougar Blues to the Heritage Festival Competition in New York City April 2-6.

The board approved a facility use request from the Burlington Fire Dept. to use the high school auditorium Sept. 22, 8 a.m. to noon, for fire training for county departments.

David Matthews was hired as eighth grade volleyball coach, and Tammy Wickersham was hired as sixth grade cheerleading coach.

Four FFA members - Travis Martin, Malena Zook, Sarah Griffin, and Chandler Keown - told the board about their experiences at the Washington Leadership Conference in Washington, D.C., this summer. As a result of leadership skills they sharpened at the conference, they are looking for ways they can lead their chapter in finding and implementing new community projects. The chapter has been thinking about raising a small crop to donate to the Food Pantry.

Principal Charles Huckstep announced that ISTEP testing will be Sept. 18, 19, and 20. As in the past, juniors and seniors who have already passed the tests will have the option to go into the community and help with designated service projects.

Sayers announced that the annual Fall Forum, which informs parents and the public about school happenings and future plans, will be Oct. 9 at 6:30 p.m. He said the location has not yet been determined.

The next regular board meeting will be Sept. 18 at 7:30 p.m. at the Administration Building.