GENTRY — A positive beginning and ending were reported to the school board at its Aug. 15 regular meeting.
“We had a very good first day of school,” Gentry School District superintendent Randy Barrett told the board, adding that the smooth start was to be credited to the preparation of principals and staff.
Barrett also reported that initial attendance numbers were up slightly over last year but added that the school doesn’t take a “firm count” until after Labor Day.
The last school fiscal year is closing on a very positive note, Barrett said, reporting an ending operational fund balance, before moving money into the school’s building fund, of approximately $3 million.
Barrett said the ending balance was evidence that he and the school staff were committed to make sure district funds are spent wisely and frugally.
The district has until the end of August to close out the previous fiscal year, and the board had previously approved a transfer of money to the district’s building fund to bring the closing balance in operational funds down to approximately $1.5 million.
Moving the extra money to the building fund keeps the district’s closing balance in available operational money to a level which can be maintained to prevent the state board of education from finding the district in fiscal distress due to a declining ending operational balance.
The fund transfer also provides the district a financial safety net should it experience a major expense or a major decline in incoming tax revenue.
Also discussed briefly at the Aug. 15 meeting was the possible naming ofthe school’s baseball-softball complex after Merrill Reynolds, who was a past board member and gave countless hours to the school’s baseball and softball programs. Barrett suggested the board wait to consider the matter until a future meeting because of the short time which had elapsed since Reynold’s accidental death.
Barrett said, should the board decide to name the complex after an individual, Reynolds was certainly worthy of that honor. Outgoing board member Ted Dorn also voiced support for naming the complex after Reynolds should the board take up the matter at a future meeting.
Approved at the board meeting was a bid of $102,156.50 to resurface gymnasium floors at the middle school and intermediate school campuses. Barrett anticipated the jobs would be completed over the Christmas break so as not to disrupt use of the facilities during student days.
News, Pages 3 on 08/24/2011