Summer Upgrades Finished At Schools

The Kimball School Board received an update at its meeting Monday on summer projects in the school district. The board and administration have worked diligently over the past few years to make the district grounds and buildings more attractive.

Projects completed this summer include the Junior/Senior High School asphalt work on the west parking lot, scoreboard installation, flooring in the student center and auditorium foyer, LED lighting in the practice gym and locker rooms, the gym floors being recoated, and the roof on the slant wall of the main gym being completed.

The east and west entrances to the the new addition at the Junior/Senior High School also have added entrance doors.

At Mary Lynch Elementary School, the playground equipment was installed early in the summer, lockers have been added, hallways remodeled, and entrance doors installed at the main entrance.

Superintendent Trevor Anderson thanked FirstTier Bank and community members for their donations and assistance with the football scoreboard installation.

Anderson expressed thanks to the summer crew members for their hard work and dedication.

In addition to the building and grounds update, Anderson’s financial update included word that 68.03% of the budget was spent, while 92% of the fiscal year was completed, resulting in 31.97% of the budget remaining unspent.

The current cash balance in the general fund is $2,926,407.96. The balance in 2023 was similar, and in 2022, it was $2,582,772.72.

Finally, the actual year-to-date expenditures are $8,271,288.78.

Under administrator’s reports, Mary Lynch Principal Amanda Culek reported that the enrollment is stable after losing some families; 15 new students have registered in the elementary.

At the Junior/Senior High School, Principal Danielle Reader reported that two new students have been enrolled. The Kimball district has signed up for Spanish 1 and 2 through distance learning via ESU 5. A new state requirement for a high school computer class has been added as well as the new JAG program. Reader also said that eight students are signed up for dual credit classes.

During the reading and approval of board bills, Anderson directed the school board members’ attention to a bill of $55,200 for new Chromebooks, but he added that the district was reimbursed over $47,000 through an available program. Therefore, Anderson said there was “minimal out of pocket expense.”

Continuing through the meeting with the action items, Beyond Textbooks was approved after the Kimball school district received a $3,000 reduction in the price of the program.

Board policies relating to Preschool Enrollment and Emergency Response Mapping were approved.

Finally, the board, similar to every year, unanimously adopted a resolution increasing the school district’s base growth percentage used to determine the school district’s property tax request authority by up to s7 percent.

Upcoming school board meetings include a board budget work session 6:30 p.m. Aug. 28 at KCTS, a 6 p.m. Sept. 9 budget hearing, a tax request hearing following the budget hearing, and a regular meeting at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 9.