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Sheldon school applies for reading grant
Nevada Daily Mail
Sheldon school will try to provide a boost in reading activities for its students through the Missouri Afterschool Retreat Reading and Assessment grant.
"We would have to match 15 percent of the $2,000 grant," Superintendent Tim Judd told the Sheldon Board of Education at its meeting Wednesday.
The board members voted 7-0 to apply for the grant.
Renda Armstrong, certified public accountant with DSWA, presented the district's yearly audit at the board meeting.
"Over the past five years, your cash balance decreased over $540,000," Armstrong told the board. "You're not going to be able to sustain that."
Armstrong said the decline stems from transportation and food service costs.
"You spent $128,715 on transportation and $18,549 was your revenue," she said. "You spent $127,000 on food services and had $110,000 in revenue."
Board member Jerod Lamb asked Judd to look into ways to bring the transportation and lunch costs into line.
Armstrong told the board the district contributed $140,909 to the public school retirement system and $14,940 to non-certified teacher's retirement system.
"You collected 98.5 percent of your available tax money," she continued. "One principle payment is left on your bond of $50,000 and an interest of $2,400. The energy loan has been paid off during this school year."
She found one significant deficiency in the school district, segregation of duties. She suggested the school require more secondary reviews of accounts and information.
She found two compliance issues, the tax levy hearing was not published on time and the original budget lacked certain required elements.
Judd said the publishing of the hearing was late by a day because Vernon County was late in distributing the information.
Armstrong concluded the school had an overall clean, satisfactory audit.
In other business, Judd told the board the roof of the school leaked considerably after a heavy rain.
"We've fixed some spots on the roof," he said. "I think we've made some progress. We also have a section of guttering that has broken off, and we plan on fixing that week of Thanksgiving."
Judd added that a heater in the gym will need to be repaired and several of the vent filters in the school will need to be replaced.
"We got several free filters from 3M," he said, "but we still have to buy a few in certain sizes."
Judd said the school will receive $4,700 in E-rate funds, federal assistance with phone and Internet services, for the 2012-'13 school year.
Board members Bill Nance, Gene Leininger and Marlene Moran's terms expire in April, and the board voted 7-0 to set the election filing dates from Dec. 17 to Jan. 15.
The sports award ceremony will be 7 p.m. Nov. 21 in the gym. The staff dinner will be Dec. 12. Judd will present a recycling grant for Sheldon on Dec. 11. Work will not proceed on a new driveway at the school.