Fairbanks School Board and officials watch as members of the middle school robotics program demonstrate their robots and programming skills as advisor Tony Gerstenberger, left, talks about the teams and the competitions and the program. The program had seven of its eight teams advance to the state championships in March.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Mac Cordell)
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Members of the Fairbanks Local School District offered their appreciation Monday to Dr. David Baits.
Baits took over as interim superintendent just weeks before the start of the 2018-2019 school year. Monday was his final school board meeting. Next month, newly hired superintendent, Adham Schirg, will take the position. Baits’ last day is June 14.
“This is a good district,” Baits told the board. “You have a good staff, good students, good parents and a good community.”
He added, “I really believe the best days of your school district are ahead of you.”
Board President Mark Lippencott said Baits did, “a fantastic job.” He said Baits stepped into a difficult situation and made the best of it. Lippencott said Baits was active inside and outside the school.
“He has been a positive influence for us with both the teachers and the community,” Lippencott said.
The board president said Baits needed to attend a doctor appointment with his wife and missed a day at the school. Lippencott said Baits drove from Xenia to make up the work on a non-scheduled work day.
“That’s the kind of integrity we have had this year with Dr. Baits,” Lippencott said.
Baits said he has enjoyed his time working in the district. He said it is nice to “work in a district that has money in the bank.”
At the meeting, School Treasurer Aaron Johnson said the district does have more money in the bank than many districts. He said it is recommended that a district the size of Fairbanks have about $3 million in the bank. He said he predicts at the end of the year the district will have about $7 million.
“We are not in dire straits, but the next two years, we need to watch what happens,” the treasurer said.
Johnson said this year is likely the year expenses catch up with revenue. He said he predicts “overall slow to minimal growth in total revenues for the next two to three years.”
Based on Johnson’s forecast, in 2020 the district will have a nearly half million-dollar deficit which is projected to grow to $1.22 million in five years.
“That’s too high,” Johnson said of the projected 2023 deficit, which would reduce the cash balance to about $3.77 million
The treasurer explained that he is not terribly worried about the deficit yet because five years is difficult to predict. He said that based on how schools are funded, it is “pretty typical” for districts to go through cycles of deficit spending.
He called it “something we need to watch over and make sure it doesn’t grow too much, relative to our cash balance.”
He said state funding is “likely staying the same” with some possible exceptions. He said it would be important to renew the district’s permeant improvement income tax. He said that represents about $590,000.
In addition to Johnson’s report, the board heard state of the school presentations from: Ann Arthur, director of special services; Teresa Goins, curriculum director; Scott Shively, maintenance director; B.J. Thaman, director of instructional technology; and Beth Wyckoff, transportation supervisor.
Arthur shared the district’s efforts to educate special needs students in the least restrictive environment available.
“We work really hard not to over identify,” Arthur said. “We work really hard to keep our numbers down.”
She said 10.6% of the district’s students are serviced through special education. She said the state average is 15.16%.
Goins said the district is looking to implement state directed social-emotional curriculum.
Shively detailed the district’s 867 maintenance requests as well as a variety of completed or ongoing projects.
In a video presentation, Thaman said the district was able to fully implement its 1:1 computer program a year early based on “some creative use” of district Chromebooks.
He said the district will continue to “focus on customer service” for students, staff and parents.
Thaman said the district is also planning a “digital wellness” collaboration with other districts and The Ohio State University.
Wyckoff touted the district’s 1.22 transportation efficiency rating. She said the state evaluates the district and its transportation program, then issues a rating. She said a 1.0 is “equal to its peers and a ratio of over 1.0 indicating that the district is performing better than its peers.
Wyckoff said this year, district busses drove nearly a quarter million miles. She called that “pretty substantial.”
She said the district equipment, which includes three propane engine buses, is “really, really looking good.” She said the propane buses saved the district about $4,000 this year. Wyckoff said the district is planning to purchase two more using the remained of a grant from the state.
Wyckoff said she is working with Tolles officials to accommodate a change in the technical school’s schedule.
In other news:
-the board heard student presentations from the National Junior Honor Society; the 10 members of the Family, Career and Community Leaders of America (FCCLA) program going to the national convention in Anaheim; the District Leadership Team; and the middle school robotics team.
-the board approved cafeteria prices for 2019-2020 at the same level as this school year.
-the board set open enrollment capacity. Baits said the move is necessary to maximize the use of district staff. He said the district is not moving any currently open enrolled students out of the district.