Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
ONTONAGON — The Ontonagon Area Board of Education heard about a new program which will be included in the Ontonagon curriculum through the Gogebic-Ontonagon Intermediate School District.
Superintendent-Principal Jim Bobula said an agriculture class will be part of the science curriculum. He said the GOISD has hired an instructor, and Shawn Kolbus of the GOISD, was in Ontonagon looking for a site for a greenhouse which would be utilized as part of the agriculture curriculum. Although a credit class is for high school students, Bobula said the elementary classes would also be involved. Animals and plants would be part of the program as well. Board members expressed excitement about the program.
Bobula said the building trades class will also be offered again next year.
Following a budget hearing, the board approved the 2015-16 school budget at $3,273,995. The projected expenditures, according to Business Services Manager Linda Karttunen, are $3,327,488. The $53,493 deficit will be made up from the fund balance and technology fund.
Karttunen said the budget is based on a student foundation of $7,266, a $140 per student increase, plus $125 per student equity payment. The recent state education budget eliminates the best practice and student performance funding, a loss of $80 per student. The district will continue to use the three-year averaging formula.
The board took action to do some cutting in the next year budget. Margaret Radovich, special education and health instructor, was issued a layoff notice and at-risk coordinator hours were reduced from 10.5 to 2.5 hours per day.
Karttunen added that heading into the new school year the unassigned fund balance will be at zero and, “It will be very difficult to cover any unplanned expenses in the coming year.”
The board approved one-year contracts for Bobula, Karttunen and Business Services Assistant Kristie Ollila. The board also approved contracts for Jon Uotila as dean of students, Tammy Lancioni as MEAP, Michigan Merit Exam and ACT coordinator, Kristi Pestka as special education coordinator, and Dick Franti as athletic director.
In other action, the board:
—Heard that lockdown security devises have been installed in all classrooms. The devises were purchased and installed through grant funding awarded to the local 911 emergency management system.
—Adopted the 2014-15 general fund, student services and debt retirement funds.
—Adopted a resolution to be a School of Choice for the 2015-16 school year.
—Decided to continue with set meeting times, attorneys, fund depositories, policies and Roberts Rule of Order.