Administrators grateful for moderate temps to start school year

     Every regular Monticello School Board meeting has a time allowed for principal’s reports, during which each principal updates the board on what is happening in their respective buildings.

     These often include lists of things that have happened in the preceding month, and upcoming events that are particular to each one.

     At the regular board meeting on Monday, Aug. 28, however, there was a recurring theme among two of the principals and curriculum director Gretchen Kriegel: the moderate temperatures that greeted students and staff to start the school year.

     The middle school, along with Carpenter and Shannon elementaries, do not have air conditioning throughout the buildings. So when school began Aug. 23 with a high temperature of 75 (along with 76 and 70 the next two days), it was a relief.

     “I think it’s been very comfortable. We’ve been very lucky,” elementary school principal Denny Folken said. “I had somebody tell me they cannot ever remember a time when we’ve started the year with such nice temperatures.”

     “It’s been completely different than it has been in past years,” middle school principal Brent Meier said. “It’s been good.”

     Both Meier and Kriegel said they believe a cooler temperature inside is beneficial to education.

     “There’s got to be some type of direct correlation,” Meier said. “Not only for students, but for staff members too.”

     “It certainly does help,” said Kriegel, whose office is in the middle school. “We’ve been fortunate so far.”

     One of the action items at the meeting was the transfer of funds from the general fund to cover deficiencies in the Panther Academy fund. Called an interfund loan transfer, it was approved in the amount of $11,000, and is to be repaid to the general fund with 1 percent interest upon receipt of tuition and registration fees. The loan must be repaid by June 30, 2018.

     Meanwhile, a financial plan for Panther Academy was discussed, and included the following possible options: adjusting payroll/benefits for employees, eliminating the discounted rate for more than one child from the same family, work on increasing enrollment, and exploring the possibility of reserving days and times and charging for that space, even if absent.

In other action, the board:

     • approved the 2017-18 State Wide Voluntary Preschool Program (SWVPP) budgets and contracts, which include funding for Little Panther Preschool, Sacred Heart Preschool and Mother Goose Preschool.

     • approved the used bus bid of Lee Guffey of Wichita Falls, Texas. Guffey will purchase the district’s 2002 Bluebird bus for $1,875.

     • approved, as part of the consent agenda, the appointment of Brent Meier as Level I investigator, 504 coordinator, Title IX coordinator and equity coordinator; and Dawn Graver as Level II investigator.

     • announced that the next board work session will be Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 6 p.m., and the next regular board meeting will be Monday, Sept. 25 at 6 p.m.