The HUUSD School Board met in person (with an option for remote participation) last Wednesday, February 1, 2023.
There was no public comment.
Board Reports:
- Dr. Mike announced that HUHS has been awarded a 2023 Silver Magna Award by the National School Boards Association for its Harwood Harkness Initiative.
- Director of Finance Lisa Estler reported on the budget, details to follow.
Topics for Discussion:
- Meeting Schedule Change: The March 8 meeting was canceled. The Board will meet on March 15.
- Board member Lisa Mason updated on previous work done on an “Equity Lens Tool.” Board members will resume this work after new members are elected in March.
- Superintendent Evaluation Form: Committee members and the Board discussed the Committee’s proposed form and associated documents.
Action Items:
- A motion to appoint Board members Cindy Senning, Life LeGeros, and Kelley Hackett to the Crossett Brook Co-Principal Interview Committee passed without objection.
- A motion to approve the Annual Meeting on Monday March 6, 2023 via Zoom and in person at the Harwood library passed without objection.
- A motion to request voter approval of the budget in the amount of $45,422,241 and a projected equalized per pupil spending of $22,322 passed without objection.
- A motion to request voter approval to allocate the FY22 unassigned audited fund balance as follows passed without objection: assign $696,931 to the school district's Maintenance Reserve Fund per VSA §2804.
- A motion to approve the language of Article VI of the budget warning to be “To act by Australian ballot on the following proposition ‘Shall the voters of the school district approve the school board to expend $45,422,241 which is the amount the school board has determined to be necessary for the ensuing fiscal year?’” did not pass.
- A motion to approve the language of Article VI of the budget warning to be “To act by Australian ballot on the following proposition ‘Shall the voters of the school district approve the school board to expend $45,422,241 which is the amount the school board has determined to be necessary for the ensuing fiscal year? It is estimated that this proposed budget, if approved, will result in education spending of $22,322 per equalized pupil.’” passed unanimously with Kristen abstaining as Chair.
- A motion to approve the Annual Meeting Warning and Budget Warning for FY2024 passed without objection or abstention.
Budget Information:
The Board began the annual budget work for FY2024, or the 2023-24 school year, in December. The FY2024 budget is built around the expectation of providing the same level of service and programming offered currently, but adjusted for projected increases in salaries and health care costs.
FY2022 included $696,931 in unspent funds. In consideration of the deferred maintenance needs of HUHS, and to support the ongoing capital needs of all seven campuses in our district, the Board unanimously approved a plan to contribute all of those unspent funds to the maintenance reserve fund.
While we had hoped for a concrete total for the fund amount in the Maintenance Reserve, we were not able to solidify that as the auditor was delayed due to short staffing. Therefore, $696,931 is the preliminary number that we have determined based on our records. If for some reason the amount is higher, the remainder will be added to the general fund.
The following questions will be on the HUUSD Budget Ballot:
- Article VI: To act by Australian ballot on the following proposition “Shall the voters of the school district approve the school board to expend $45,422,241 which is the amount the school board has determined to be necessary for the ensuing fiscal year? It is estimated that this proposed budget, if approved, will result in education spending of $22,322 per equalized pupil.”
- Article VII: To act by Australian ballot on the following proposition: “Shall the voters of the Harwood Unified Union School District authorize the Board of School Directors to allocate its FY2022 unassigned audited fund balance as follows: assign $696,931 to the school district’s Maintenance Reserve Fund per 24 VSA §2804.
Please join us on Zoom (https://us02web.zom.us/j/386460007) or YouTube (tinyurl.com/huwebapp-youtube-live) or in the Harwood Union High School Library on March 6th starting at 6PM for the district’s annual meeting and budget presentation.
***Community Notice***
The board is seeking interested community members to participate in the co-principal interview committee. If you would like to be part of this vital and exciting process, please email Dr. Mike Leichliter at [email protected].
As always, the Board welcomes feedback from our community. One of the easiest ways to share your thoughts is to send an email to [email protected], which will go to every Board member. There is also time at every Board meeting for public comment. Alternately, reach out to one of your neighbors who is on the school Board and share your thoughts in a personal email or phone call (see a list of Board members and contact information at https://tinyurl.com/523wtrnj).
The Board’s next meeting will be on Wednesday, February 22nd, 2023 at 6:00 p.m. Community members may attend in person in the Harwood library or remotely via zoom (https://us02web.zoom.us/j/386460007#success), or watch it broadcast live on Youtube (http://tinyurl.com/huwebapp-youtube-live). Agendas and other related documents are available at huusd.org.