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June 22, 2000 by Jenn Ooton Facing a second year of declining enrollments, the Re-1 school board adopted a budget of $25.8 million for the 2000-2001 school year at its regular meeting on Tuesday. Equalization money — a per-pupil amount the state gives to school districts to help offset expenses — is down an estimated $370,350 for next year, with Re-1 School District student enrollment projected to drop for the second year in a row. The Colorado Department of Education allocates $4,938 per student in funding to the district. Projected enrollment for the 2000-2001 school year is expected to drop by 75 full time students, which would amount to the nearly $400,000 loss in per pupil funding for the district. The 1999 October count tallied enrollment at 3,350, compared to 3,474 when the count was completed in 1998. Next year’s enrollment was projected from a count that the district completed in mid-March which indicated that the district had lost about 150 students since the October count. Enrollment numbers for 2000-2001 will be finalized on October 2, when Re-1 students will be officially counted. Re-1 appropriated $20,382,422 to the general operating fund, $901,435 to the capital reserve fund, $1,411,800 to governmental designed grants and $1,011,594 to the bond redemption fund. According to Re-1 business manager Jim Riffey, revenue loss resulting from enrollment drops will be absorbed by the district. "We’ve just absorbed it in the carry-over amount," he said. Riffey attributes the decrease in student enrollment, while the area’s population as a whole is increasing, to an older population that is moving into the area. Legal expenses, the technology fund, and the two-month salary carry-over were reduced in the 2000-2001 budget. Re-1 board members expressed concern at their May 16 meeting that the $170,000 reduction in the technology fund would be detrimental to the district. Riffy explained that George Schumpelt had secured some grant money to cushion the fund’s reduction and that decreases will not devastate any of the programs. Board issues final word on Baca By Jenn Ooton Re-1 Superintendent Bill Thompson made a statement to the community at the school board meeting Tuesday after citizens again demanded that the board reconsider its decision not to renew the contract of high school teacher and coach Phil Baca. When Re-1 board president Steve Hinton asked if anyone wanted to address the board, Gary Tanner challenged the board to re-think its action regarding Baca’s contract, pointing out that the question of Baca’s non-renewal did not appear as an action item on the agenda. Tanner also asked that the board explain why the contract was not renewed. Two weeks ago, about 40 people were in attendance at the board’s meeting to represent Baca’s interest, including Tanner. At that time, Hinton explained that the board would revisit the question of Baca’s contract if any of the board members requested that it be placed on the next meeting’s agenda. After Tanner finished speaking, Thompson explained that the board had acted on his recommendation to not renew Baca’s contract, and that he had presented his recommendation to the board prior to the May 16 meeting at which Baca’s contract was not renewed. He said, "As I told the board, I stand by my decision." Hinton concurred with Thompson’s comments and explained that the board had already heard from the community and had taken action. Under Colorado law, personnel issues are confidential, but Thompson said in an interview Wednesday that the decision to not re-hire Baca was one of many difficult decisions the board has had to make. "We’ve had to make tough decisions over the years, and we want the best person possible," he said. Thompson said that the board had already complied with Tanner’s request that Baca be given an explanation of his non-renewal, as is required of a school district when the teacher is in the first three years of service, during the probationary period. "We have to give them reasons in writing," Thompson said. He continued by saying that he and the board consider the matter closed. |
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