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Manteno school board approves tentative deficit budget  Share
The Manteno school board approved a tentative budget of $26,709,217 at its August 24 meeting. The document anticipates revenues of $25,701,848 - leaving a deficit of $1,007,369. Superintendent Dawn Russert said the majority of the deficit was a result of the purchase of a storage building, to be located at the high school and budgeting for a new transportation facility. The transportation building will be built on the 182 acres the district purchased last year, west of I-57 and along county highway 9. The storage building will cost the district $280,000. Cost of a new transportation facility has been estimated at $1.2 million. However, Russert said, the district will receive from the state 80 percent of the cost for the facility. It will be paid to the transportation fund over a 50-year period. Additionally, the district will receive $600,000 for the sale of its former transportation facility to Milstar Inc. of Manteno. The board anticipates closing on the Amberstone Road property on September 8. With these additional revenues, Russert said, the operation and maintenance fund deficit will be reduced to $155,156. She said she has also applied for an American Reinvestment and Recovery Act (ARRA) grant of $62,700 to purchase reading books for K-5 grades. She said these funds will free up general state funding that can be transferred to the operation and maintenance fund, bringing the deficit down to approximately $92,126.
In order to display the preliminary budget for 30 days before voting on it, the board agreed to move its Sept. board meeting to Tuesday, September 29 at 6:30 p.m. Barbara Meek of BLDD Architects in Bloomington briefly discussed preliminary plans for a new maintenance facility with the board. She said the preliminary plans showed a 60- by 100-foot building which would include maintenance bays, a wash bay, an office area with a meeting room, up to three offices and a mechanical/electrical room, restrooms and a vestibule in the front area. With the exception of tiling in the restrooms and vestibule, the areas will have concrete floors. Plans also include an open parking area for the buses. It will be enclosed by a canopy covering. The board agreed to table the matter until the closing on the old transportation facility. Russert said she expects the transportation facility will be completed by next summer. Meanwhile, the district is parking its buses at the high school and elementary school. The board agreed to hire Pressure Washing Systems to wash its buses at a monthly cost of $325. PTO President Mike Casagrande discussed several upcoming fundraisers, events and projects. He said the PTO has begun contacting parents and volunteers by email, and the system is working more efficiently. He also said the PTO is working on its own Web site, to communicate with the public more effectively. The PTO will kick off its fall fundraiser during open house this year. He said a specialty foods company will provide snacks and treats during the open house. Parents will have an opportunity to purchase items at the same time. At the high school open house, pizzas will be sold with the school logo on the wrapper. The PTO will receive a portion of the profits from the sales. During the open house, the PTO also will present a power point presentation to detail the services provided by the PTO. Casagrande was also excited about a PTO-sponsored site called Kids Click, an educational site that provides access to math, science, history, music and other subjects in a safe environment. He said the site is monitored by a person onsite at all times. The site is available to parents for a monthly fee. The PTO will receive a portion of the monthly fee. Lynn Dill is a reporter for Russell Publications.
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