BOE approves 2018 budget, interim superintendent's contract at special called meeting
Multiple time-sensitive items were on the agenda for Wednesday night's special meeting of the Vestavia Hills Board of Education, including the 2018 fiscal year budget.
After holding two public work sessions on the budget, the first on Aug. 23 and the second on Aug. 30, and opening for public comment, the board had no further questions for finance director Greg Maner.
At previous meetings, Maner went through the budget in detail, highlighting the various revenue streams and how the 2018 budget would draw from each.
The 2018 general fund budget expects total revenues of $70,454,109 and total expenditures of $69,434,285.
Major changes included adding 24 new teaching units, but were largely offset by a continued trend in rising ad valorem revenue.
“And if everything works like we hope it will,” Maner said, the BOE should be able to add just over $1 million to its reserves at the end of the year.
“We’re in a good place right now,” Maner said on Aug. 23.
In breaking down the expenditures, Maner pointed out that the overwhelming majority of the schools funds — 82 percent or almost $57.8 million —goes to instructional services and instructional support services.
"And since we are a school system, that's where most of our money should be spent, on instruction of children," he said on Aug. 30.
Because of the ongoing major construction projects, the BOE's capital outlay funding was of special interest again this year, Maner said.
The outlay budget includes the bond issue taken out last year.
Maner said that the estimated capital outlay expenditures for the year are about $38.8 million, which would leave a balance of about $6.6 million.
Maner also pointed out that dedicating the funds for 2018 satisfies the IRS requirement that bond funds be dedicated or spent in the first three years.
After approving the budget, the board voted to approve the contract for Interim Superintendent Charles Mason, who took over on Sept. 1.
Because Mason has already retired from public education, BOE Attorney Patrick Boone explained that the contract restrictions are very specific, and that he submitted the contract to the legal department of Retirement Systems of Alabama to ensure the contract didn't cost Mason his pension.
Mason will serve a 180 day term, back dated to Sept. 1 and going through Feb. 17, 2018. His total compensation for the full term will be $59,625, with the first $29,625 paid September through December, and the remainder paid over the first two months of 2018.
Boone said he stands behind the contract legally.
Other board business included:
- Approving a new course name, description and code for the CTE Teen Challenges course in the middle school.
- Approving the renewal of the board's participation in the Alabama Trust for Boards of Education General Liability/Errors and Omissions Liability Fund, which takes care of various liability issues that insurance doesn't cover directly.
- Approving the renewal of the board's participation in the Alabama Trust for Boards of Education Automobile Fund.