R-P Fully Staffed

R-P Superintendent Dr. Ben Bernard was able to announce to the school board at their regular meeting June 17 that, with the hiring of middle school special education teacher Nathan Whitacre, the school was fully staffed for the 2024-2025 school year.

Both the revised 2023-2024 and the proposed 2024-2025 budgets were approved after the examination of the budgets with the help of Business Manager Toni Oian. Oian shared that the district was “cautiously optimistic” about the budget. Both revenues and expenditures have remained “fairly constant.” The district ended the year with a positive general fund balance of $187,512.

Community Education continues to receive additional funding from the general budget. This past year $69,000 was needed; next year’s budget plans for $79,000. Preschool is included in the Community Education expenses; the school board finds preschool to be well worth the additional funding investment. With three-year-olds now able to attend preschool all year, the enrollment may hopefully go up.

Even after the transfer from the general fund, Community Education was at a negative $50,639 for the 2023-2024 year and is projected to have a negative balance of $62,342 the following year. Community Education participation has been increasing this year; some adult classes will be offered this summer. Bernard noted that the board will be asked in the future what direction they choose to take in dealing with the deficit.

Food service balance continues to grow. While some schools’ food service budgets are struggling, R-P had an ending fund balance of $307,316 this year and projects a positive balance of $336,193 for next year. The increases are due to the fact that R-P economically runs its own food service rather than hiring an outside vendor.

The food service budget is restricted on what can be purchased from it. Recent changes allow the purchase of tables and chairs for the cafeteria, but since R-P’s school is relatively new, it doesn’t need new furniture. With the higher budget balance, Bernard said they might use it to purchase better quality food and continue to provide choices in the menus. R-P does not have the grant for purchasing beef for next year, but still hopes to purchase local beef.

Superintendent’s Report

In his monthly report, Bernard pointed out that school enrollment for the year ended at four more students than the year before.

Bernard continues to work with Wieser Brothers and the architects to finalize plans to repair the front stone on the school; he hopes to get it completed this summer.

Since Best Buy no longer offers a program for families to purchase Chromebooks, Bernard is encouraging families to expect communication later in the summer about alternate plans. He is looking for a way to get devices for students who cannot afford them since the school wants to remain a one-to-one school.

Principal Reports

Elementary Principal Angela Shepard informed the board that the six-week summer school session was in its second week. She shared the teaching assignments for the elementary staff. Elementary enrollment numbers are at 256 for next year; kindergarten currently has 39 students.

Zoom meetings for the teachers to work on the necessary training for the READ Act are being scheduled throughout the coming year.

MSHS principal Jake Timm shared that over $70,970 in scholarships was given out to seniors at senior awards night thanks to the generosity of the community and local businesses.

Timm gave statistics on the A and B honor rolls for the year. In the middle school, 80.7% of the students were on either the A or B honor Roll. In the high school, 64.4% were on the A or B honor roll. Of the 66 students on the A honor roll, 21 students earned a 4.0.

Other Business

Other business conducted by the board includes:

• Approval of the 2024-2026 custodial contract with MSEA;

• Approval of the $12,632.40 contract with Hiawatha Valley Mental Health; counselors will travel to R-P to work with individual students;

• Review and approval of R-P’s Literacy Plan and Q-Comp Annual Report;

• Accepted bids for milk from Kemps, gasoline from Pam’s Corner and bread from Pan-O-Gold;

• Renewed annual memberships with MSHSL, MREA and MSBA;

• Accepted donations totalling $9,594.62 for a basketball golf fundraiser, girls basketball uniforms, and summer speed and strength coaching;

• Designated Dr. Bernard as the identified official with authority for MDE user access recertification system;

• Approved Nancy Snyder as the HVED board representative.