Student Accident Insurance, Budget, TASB Delegates Top July 8 SSISD Board Meeting

School Health Advisory Committee composition, student accident insurance coverage and conference delegates are among the items Sulphur Springs Independent School District Board of Trustees will be asked to consider approving during their regular monthly meeting tonight, July 8.

The trustees too are scheduled to hold a budget work session during the 6 p.m. meeting. At the regular June meeting, SSISD Business Manager Sherry McGraw presented trustees with a first draft of the budget, based on spring numbers. The district has received a couple of different templates and at that point were still assessing how to fulfill and the impact of House Bill 3. Certified tax values will not be available until July 24-25. All of those factors, plus staff changes as employees leave, retire and are reassigned during summer months will impact the budget. Trustees during a special meeting last Monday approved a new teacher pay scale, that includes raises, per HB 3.

Trustees amended the 2018-19 budget during the June meeting to reflect a $304,310 increase in expenditures from the general fund balance, $145,640 for costs associated with district restructuring of campuses by grade levels, $19,573 for the house project the career and technology students have been working on the last two years, $95,499 for athletic upgrades and $43,598 in additional expenses incurred when the boys played in the state basketball tournament in the spring semester. However, the district received $24,206 in donated revenue to help with costs associated with the state basketball tourney, bringing the total district cost to $19,392 for the tourney and $280,104 overall in additional expenses over the originally budgeted amount. That puts the overall budget at $38,004,465 for 2018-19.

McGraw is expected to present updated information, including the approved salary scale, figured conservatively until certified tax values are in.

The business manager too is expected to present information during tonight’s meeting and a recommendation for student accident insurance coverage for the 2019-2020 school year.

Veronica Arnold is scheduled to present information on the district’s School Health Advisory Committee activities and plans during the meeting, then later present for board consideration a recommended SHAC member list for 2019-2020.

Assistant Superintendent Josh Williams will provide for discussion Texas Association of School Boards Localized Manual Update 113. Typically, the school board receives the recommended policy changes at one meeting, then is asked at a future meeting to approve it, with any changes recommended by local officials. Often, this includes changes required by legislators which have to be adopted, but does sometimes include a few optional items districts are given some discretion over.

Williams also is scheduled to review the district employee handbook for 2019-2020.

Trustees will also be asked to select a delegate and alternate to attend the 2019 Texas Association of School Boards Delegate Assembly scheduled Saturday, Sept. 21, in Dallas.

An executive session is planned for any real estate or personnel items presented for board approval since the last meeting. Trustees have held five extra meetings since April in an effort to try to fill as many teacher and staff openings as possible before the new school year starts.

SSISD Board of Trustees meets regularly at 6 p.m. the second Monday of each month in the Board Room of SSISD Administration Building, 631 Connally St.

Author: KSST Contributor

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