The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board gave the go-ahead to issue $5.5 million in short term general obligation bonds, allowing the corporation to spend money saved by refinancing other school bonds earlier this year. The bond issue approved by the board Wednesday night will be paid back in less than one year, but is the method provided by law allowing the local schools to spend the savings. The legal paperwork has language for a 9 cent tax rate increase, but HSE Schools Chief Financial Officer Mike Reuter says the bond issue will be structured in a manner that no tax rate increase will actually occur as a result of Wednesday night’s board action.
Reuter told the board the $5.5 million will be used for capital projects. Some of the money has already been earmarked to pay for some new badly-needed buses. Other projects this money will finance include:
–retrofitting buildings to allow space for the newly-hired assistant principals
–mechanical upgrades at Cumberland Road Elementary’s heating and cooling system
In other school board meeting news:
–Superintendent Allen Bourff introduced Brooke Lawson as the school system’s new coordinator of mental health. She is scheduled to begin her new position October 10th. Also, Assistant Superintendent Mike Beresford told the board Requests for Proposals will be issued to contract with mental health providers. If all goes on schedule, Dr. Beresford hopes to have much of the mental health support infrastructure in place during the second semester of the current school year. Dr. Bourrf emphasized that this is all happening as a result of the school funding referendum that passed in May of this year.
–Dr. Bourff summarized a proposal to have students arrive a few minutes later on 31 Tuesdays the next school year (2017-2018). That time would be used by teachers for professional development. The HSE Superintendent emphasized he is only proposing the idea at this time, but the recently approved 2017-2018 school calendar does allow for this.
–Board Member Howard Stevenson said Geist Elementary School has been designated as a 2016 National Blue Ribbon School by the United State Department of Education. His son was part of the first kindergarten class that went K-4 there, and his wife has been a teacher at Geist Elementary since it first opened.
–The 2016 Pasta Bowl collected over 15,000 pounds of pasta, breaking last year’s record of over 13,000 pounds.
