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Legislature's action to put a pinch on Keokuk schools
By Diane Vance/Gate City Staff Writer
Iowa legislative actions will have a big impact on Keokuk School District's budget, business manager Greg Reynolds told the school board Monday.
“Keokuk is one of five or six school districts in Iowa that will feel the impact of this legislation,” said Reynolds. “I think because it did not hit a large number of districts, it went through the legislature pretty easily.”
Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year (the fiscal year began on Tuesday) state funding of Competent Private Instruction “weighting” is cut in half.
Iowa's state aid to schools is based on student enrollment. Students are “weighted” for state aid receipts. Various levels of special education students count more than 100 percent, depending on the severity of educational challenges.
CPI students, who do not use district resources full-time, are weighted less than 100 percent.
CPI involves students residing in the district who are home-schooled. The law provides that school districts can count home-schooled students at 61.2 percent. Districts are required to allow home-schooled students use of school computer labs and libraries and the ability to join art and music classes as early as elementary grades. Students also can participate on sports teams. In return, districts received state funding for each home schooled student at 60 percent of the rate for regularly enrolled students.
The new law effectively slasheds the state funding in half. Iowa is weighting CPI students at 30 percent instead of 60 percent.
“Reducing our funding in half is the equivalent of dropping 61 students,” said Reynolds. “We'll see a $339,000 immediate reduction in state aid.
“With the realignment of the high school principals and hiring a new elementary principal, we've added $112,000 in costs to our budget. With reduced income and increased costs, it makes a $451,445 net change in our budget.”
The Keokuk School District counts students at Midwest Academy as home-schooled students in the district.
“We support a number of special education students at Midwest Academy,” said Reynolds.
Board member Tyler McGhghy, who is employed by Midwest Academy, said half of the 178 students there qualify for special education or have an Individualized Education Plan.
Since Kid Zone did not receive another 21st Century Learning Grant to fund the before-and-after-school program next year, the district may need to commit more money above the school board's approval of $50,000 to Kid Zone, said Reynolds.
“It costs $250,000 to run Kid Zone,” he said. “The district may have to absorb more costs.
“On the good news side, our proposed tax levy is $18.25 per $1,000 valuation. Now, with the certified budget being smaller, our district's tax levy is down to $17.96 per $1,000 valuation.”
Davis said the board can amend the budget.
“But we cannot amend the tax levy rate,” he said. “This is just awful. It's the equivalent of cutting 10 teachers. It impacts Keokuk hard. We do have reserve funds.”
Reynolds said the budget cut “will not impact us educationally this year. It will affect next year's budget.”
Kid Zone moving forward
Kid Zone Director Laurie Mendenhall said Kid Zone will operate in the coming school year with a weekly attendance sliding scale fee.
“This is a work in progress,” said Mendenhall. “We have to figure out how to collect the fees.”
There are 15 Kid Zone associates employed by the district. Mendenhall isn't planning to hire new people until she sees how the year is progressing.
“All of the Kid Zone associates have had social skills training,” she said. “The associates worked in teams. They are excited about next year. Each associate has a social skills card with prompts for handling student behavior issues. We tied it into Character Counts.
“We've applied for more foundation funds. We've received some small funds. We will access the child care assistance money from the Department of Human Services. Those families will have to fill out extensive paperwork for Kid Zone to receive this money.”
Mendenhall said she hasn't heard the amount of money raised from a recent fund-raiser at TJ's House of Music. The Keokuk Benevolent Union has contributed $5,000. United Way's rejection letter said Kid Zone should request funding again if it did not get the 21st Century Learning Grant.
“Now that we know about not getting the grant, we can go forward with plans,” said Mendenhall. “Our Community Leadership Team will meet and we'll have ready mailings the chamber is sending out for us. We're asking businesses to sponsor a child.”
“Keokuk is one of five or six school districts in Iowa that will feel the impact of this legislation,” said Reynolds. “I think because it did not hit a large number of districts, it went through the legislature pretty easily.”
Beginning in the 2008-2009 school year (the fiscal year began on Tuesday) state funding of Competent Private Instruction “weighting” is cut in half.
Iowa's state aid to schools is based on student enrollment. Students are “weighted” for state aid receipts. Various levels of special education students count more than 100 percent, depending on the severity of educational challenges.
CPI students, who do not use district resources full-time, are weighted less than 100 percent.
CPI involves students residing in the district who are home-schooled. The law provides that school districts can count home-schooled students at 61.2 percent. Districts are required to allow home-schooled students use of school computer labs and libraries and the ability to join art and music classes as early as elementary grades. Students also can participate on sports teams. In return, districts received state funding for each home schooled student at 60 percent of the rate for regularly enrolled students.
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“Reducing our funding in half is the equivalent of dropping 61 students,” said Reynolds. “We'll see a $339,000 immediate reduction in state aid.
“With the realignment of the high school principals and hiring a new elementary principal, we've added $112,000 in costs to our budget. With reduced income and increased costs, it makes a $451,445 net change in our budget.”
The Keokuk School District counts students at Midwest Academy as home-schooled students in the district.
“We support a number of special education students at Midwest Academy,” said Reynolds.
Board member Tyler McGhghy, who is employed by Midwest Academy, said half of the 178 students there qualify for special education or have an Individualized Education Plan.
Since Kid Zone did not receive another 21st Century Learning Grant to fund the before-and-after-school program next year, the district may need to commit more money above the school board's approval of $50,000 to Kid Zone, said Reynolds.
“It costs $250,000 to run Kid Zone,” he said. “The district may have to absorb more costs.
“On the good news side, our proposed tax levy is $18.25 per $1,000 valuation. Now, with the certified budget being smaller, our district's tax levy is down to $17.96 per $1,000 valuation.”
Davis said the board can amend the budget.
“But we cannot amend the tax levy rate,” he said. “This is just awful. It's the equivalent of cutting 10 teachers. It impacts Keokuk hard. We do have reserve funds.”
Reynolds said the budget cut “will not impact us educationally this year. It will affect next year's budget.”
Kid Zone moving forward
Kid Zone Director Laurie Mendenhall said Kid Zone will operate in the coming school year with a weekly attendance sliding scale fee.
“This is a work in progress,” said Mendenhall. “We have to figure out how to collect the fees.”
There are 15 Kid Zone associates employed by the district. Mendenhall isn't planning to hire new people until she sees how the year is progressing.
“All of the Kid Zone associates have had social skills training,” she said. “The associates worked in teams. They are excited about next year. Each associate has a social skills card with prompts for handling student behavior issues. We tied it into Character Counts.
“We've applied for more foundation funds. We've received some small funds. We will access the child care assistance money from the Department of Human Services. Those families will have to fill out extensive paperwork for Kid Zone to receive this money.”
Mendenhall said she hasn't heard the amount of money raised from a recent fund-raiser at TJ's House of Music. The Keokuk Benevolent Union has contributed $5,000. United Way's rejection letter said Kid Zone should request funding again if it did not get the 21st Century Learning Grant.
“Now that we know about not getting the grant, we can go forward with plans,” said Mendenhall. “Our Community Leadership Team will meet and we'll have ready mailings the chamber is sending out for us. We're asking businesses to sponsor a child.”
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