The Fayetteville-Perry Board of Education met in regular session on May 17 before a full board. After approving the minutes, the financial report and the bills, the board heard a report from board treasurer, Jo Anna Carraher.
Carraher told the board that the main 5-year forecast is due annually in October and revised in May.
“Looking at where we were with our revenues,” Carraher said, “there have been a lot of changes since the beginning of the year. We have had two additions with our tax collections with the CAUV, so we’ve had a little bit more this year, an increase from last year. We’re not on conditional aid at all this year which helped and our state foundation has increased some.
“Open enrollment was also another factor in increasing revenue. There has been an increase in property tax. I have not received all my taxes for this year, so that will change the forecast once I receive it.”
Carraher said she has decreased the general property tax and CAUV may be lowered in future years so she flat-lined the foundation, but she will not know for a while how much the district will get. She said by July 1, she should hear about the governor’s budget. She said the College Credit Plus program had to be paid  the first part of May, which was about $202,000 which had to be by the end of June. It was for 4 semesters. She added that for the spring, summer, fall programs she estimated it at $141,000 and the Fayette-Perry has to pay for the books.
“Another big increase we’re dealing with is the community school transfers,” she said, “and that is for the students that go to the virtual schools for our resident students. It is now over $155,000 that goes out and we have no control  over that.”
She said she built in a 6% increase in health insurance for the next four years, there was a purchase of a new bus for $87,000 with hopes of buying another one next year. She said the district’s bus fleet is getting quite outdated. She said the district used to buy a new bus every year, but with the current funding the board does what it can. At least one of the buses was taken off the road by the State Highway Patrol and the district had to take another one off the road because of a badly rusted frame which can’t be repaired. The fleet is costing a lot of money because of constant repairs. The board approved the 5-year forecast.
In other business at the meeting, donations of $100 each was made by members of the board to be used for the end of the year Staff Banquet. Board member Craig Smucker once again donated his board pay check to the event in the amount of $815, to be used for the banquet.
A $100 donation from John Wood Insurance was approved for the Staff Banquet as well as a $500 donation for scholarships from the Lake Lorelei Womens Club.
The board approved a resolution to proceed with the conversion of 2 mills of inside millage from current expense to be used for permanent improvement use.
Superintendent Jim Brady gave an informative update during his legislative report on changes that have been recommended and hopefully mandated that are now in the House regarding College Credit Plus.
“One change is that a student would have to maintain a C or higher in order to participate in the program,” Brady said. “Also, the cost of textbooks would be modified to a 50/50 split between the high school and the college.
“Another change would be, it would allow schools to negotiate with colleges which sometimes charge less than the $160 per credit charge the schools are required to pay. We can negotiate for that lower fee. We could also negotiate their contracts. These are some of the positives, moving down the road.
Several soccer, baseball and softball coaches attended the meeting to ask the board to consider an organized schedule for practices and games played on district fields. The board agreed to meet with the coaches to try and resolve the conflict of playing time.