School board hires administrator for new retirement plan
Budget for 2007-08 receives unanimous approval
By Bobbi Mlynar
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
The Emporia board of education voted unanimously Wednesday evening to accept the 2007-08 budget of about $31 million, as discussed and published earlier this month.
The action came after hearing comments from a patron who previouslyhas talked to the board about its state-mandated budget.
Bill Barnes, a business professor at Emporia State University, spoke to the board for the third time this summer. Barnes requested again that the board pas a resolution to ask the state of Kansas "to fix a broken system, the budget system you have to work with."
Barnes said there was no "transparency" in the budget form that the state requires. Taxpayers are not able to understand the complicated budgeting format and cannot identify within the budget where the district stands financially.
"I don't think taxpayers support not knowing how the tax dollars are spent," Barnes said.
"You cannot receive appropriate financial reports to see what monies remain to be spent because you don't find out until May what your legal spending authority is," he said.
Under the current system, school districts in the state send in figures in September "and wait for the audit report until May," he said. "From a fiduciary responsibility, I'm glad I'm not in your shoes."
The complicated budget process places a burden on the board for estimating expenses. If that fails, districts must republish budgets.
Barnes wants school districts across the state to have appropriate monies available to manage the school system. The way the budget now is structured, districts must try to budget with reserves, he said. The excess this year was about $1.5 million.
"It might be better if taxpayers had some of those dollars to spend themselves," he said.
The board did not comment on Barnes's suggestions.
A Kansas City-area financial service was chosen Wednesday evening to administer a new retirement plan for teachers, counselors, and other certified staff employed by the district. The board voted 7-0 to hire BOK Financial Services. BOK was one of six financial companies that had submitted requests for proposals to the school district.
According to documents provided by Susan Hernandez, associate superintendent of business, BOK was one of two finalists after presentations were made to a committee of two classified staff members, two administrators, and two certified staff members. Two representatives of The Cottonwood Advisors of Overland Park, who had been hired as consultants, also met with the committee for the presentations.
The second finalist, Alliance Benefit Group, had more experience with 403(b) plans, Hernandez wrote in an information paper. However, Alliance was not able to secure one "very attractive investment option" that BOK could provide. Alliance also was the most expensive in up-front cost for at least the first four years.
BOK was more flexible in offering funds at a competitive rate, Hernandez said.
M. Theresa Daidson, associate superintendent of personnel, talked to the board about policy changes that had been recommended by the Kansas Association of School Boards.
Some of the changes came from legislative or judicial action "and what might have been happening over the course of the year that needed to be clarified in board policy," Davidson said. "Most of them are simple language changes."
Two new policies, however, also were among the recommendations. The first deals with directing district personnel to refrain from destroying any documents, including electronic documents.
The second new policy regards bullying. Under the new policy, the district would provide training for students and staff related to the problem of bullying. It would define the district's responsibility to prohibit bullying on school property, in a school vehicle, at a school-sponsored activity or event, and requires that, if appropriate, students who violate the policy be reported to law enforcement.
Board member Angie Schreiber asked if schools already had a policy on bullying.
Davidson said that elementary schools have a program in place; Emporia High School and Emporia Middle School are looking into programs for those schools.
"I think we have some pieces of this in place. It just sort of puts more teeth into it," Davidson said.
Board member Mike Helbert said that acts of bullying may not be intepreted the same by all people. Defining bullying into board policy could be challenging.
"On the other hand, I think we're asking a lot of our teachers to make the decision -- this is bullying, this is just an argument," Helbert said.
Davidson said that she would consult with KASB and report to the board at its next meeting.
The board met in executive session to discuss a personnel matter, but took no action.