Board Approves Funding for Year-Round Carts, Mobiles

February 13, 2007--At a special meeting, the Board of Education approved funding from emergency reserves to cover the year-round conversion costs for 22 schools and the associated costs of relocating mobile/modular classroom units.

The school board approved using $1,523,660 from the operating portion of undesignated fund balance to provide year-round carts, equipment, library books and supplies. Teachers at multi-track year-round schools store all their classroom materials on carts, similar to an armoire on wheels, when they "track out." Relocating 25 mobile/modular classrooms requires approximately $1.4 million, of which $730,000 is available. The board approved covering the remaining $670,000 from the capital outlay portion of undesignated fund balance.

Board members called today's meeting to avoid further negative impacts on teaching and learning following the county commissioners' decision to freeze funds approved in the November 2006 bond referendum tied to schools transitioning to the year-round calendar in 2007-08. The commissioners' action has already delayed the relocation of mobiles -- to year-round and traditional schools -- by at least a month. This means some classroom units will not be ready until after school begins, and principals will have to double up classes and hold some classes in multi-purpose rooms and media centers.

There is currently $22 million in undesignated fund balance. Typically, school systems want to have six percent of their operating budget in a reserve fund for emergencies. After the reduction to cover year-round costs, WCPSS will still be in the six percent range and have enough to operate the school district for approximately six days.

WCPSS gained 7,500 students this year and is expecting another 8,000 students for 2007-08. Even with five new schools opening, the school system would still not have classroom seats for approximately 4,000 children without transitioning 19 elementary and three middle schools to the year-round calendar.

Earlier this year, the school board approved options for families. There are more than 2,000 elementary seats at 17 schools and nearly 600 seats at eight middle schools available for families assigned to year-round schools to seek. Families may also apply for seats at traditional calendar magnet schools.

Posted by Kristin Flenniken at 3:02 PM on February 13, 2007 | Leave Feedback

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