The Mehlville Board of Education last week approved contracts for the 2009-2010 school year for 13 classified directors, two elementary assistant principals and corrected previously approved salaries for two other administrators.
During a June 25 closed session, board members unanimously approved — 6-0, Karl Frank Jr. was absent — contracts for the following classified directors:
Steven Lee, director of information technology, at $95,960, a 4-percent increase from his previous salary of $92,270.
Steve Habeck, director of facilities, at $73,877, a 6-percent increase from his previous salary of $69,696.
Jordan Krugman, director of school food and nutrition services, at $83,295, up 2 percent from his previous salary of $81,662.
Keith Henry, executive director of support services, at $104,819, a 2-percent increase from his previous salary of $102,764.
Emily McFarland, director of communications, at $61,200, up 2 percent from her previous salary of $60,000.
Diane Wedel, director of transportation, at $65,289, a 3-percent increase from her previous salary of $63,388.
Sharon Smallenberger, assistant director of transportation, at $54,824, a 3-percent increase from her previous salary of $53,227.
Noel Knobloch, chief financial officer, at $118,450, up 3 percent from his previous salary of $115,000.
Mary Ann McKinney, coordinator of school food and nutrition services, at $51,246, up 3 percent from her previous salary of $49,753.
Steve Meyer, assistant director of information technology, at $59,174, a 6-percent increase from his previous salary of $55,825.
Robin Anderson, communications coordinator, at $40,800, a 2-percent increase from her previous salary of $40,000.
Lisa Furey, director of accounting, at $66,000, up from her previous salary of $50,275.
Furey’s salary increased to reflect the additional responsibilities she has assumed since Knobloch became chief financial officer and restructured the department, Superintendent Terry Noble said. Furey has held the title for the past two years, but the scope of her position has changed in the past year, Noble said.
John Tucker, assistant director of facilities, at $55,038, a 3-percent increase from his previous salary of $53,435.
Board members also approved the following contracts last week:
Jeremy Booker, for the position of assistant principal at Bierbaum Elementary School for the 2009-2010 school year at a salary of $78,640.
Jeff Copeland, for the position of assistant principal of Blades/Trautwein elementary schools for the 2009-2010 school year at a salary of $78,640.
Because of a calculation error in figures presented to the board in May, members were asked to approve revisions to the 2009-2010 school year salaries of two other administrators. The board voted 5-1 — Venki Palamand was opposed — to adjust the following contracts:
Dave Meschke, Wohlwend Elementary School principal, $96,575, up 3 percent from the $93,762 he previously was paid in 2008-2009 as interim principal.
Janet Anthony, Oakville Senior High School assistant principal, $102,036, up 3 percent from her previous salary of $99,065 in 2008-09.
In a separate matter last week, the board voted 6-0 in open session to approve the district’s 2009-2010 budget
Under the fiscal 2010 budget, the district will take in a projected $102,899,127 million in revenue and spend an anticipated $101,915,479 million. That will leave the district with a surplus of $983,648 and an anticipated balance of $19,394,523 on June 30, 2010.
The 2009-2010 budget projects operating revenue of $92,696,127 with anticipated expenditures of $91,894,775.
Under state law, a school district is required to maintain a 3 percent balance in its operating funds or be considered a “distressed” district.
The 2009-10 budget projects an operating fund balance of $11,691,774 — 12.72 percent — on June 30, 2010. That balance includes food service, activities and athletics.
Excluding those, a fund balance of $10,451,233 — 12.18 percent — is projected on June 30, 2010.
“It’s been prepared with a cautious look at the revenue side because we’re very concerned about the slowdown which is still being experienced in the economy,” Knobloch said of the approved budget. “On the expense side we have also been fairly conservative in that our estimates are on the high side rather than the low side, because a long time ago I learned that it’s better to produce better revenues and lower expenses than the opposite.”
And that conservative mindset may need to continue, at least over the next two fiscal years, Knobloch said. While the district anticipates increased funding from Missouri — which depends on stable district enrollment and the state’s own financial situation — local taxes won’t contribute much to overall revenues.
Taxes won’t be reassessed until the 2011-2012 fiscal year, and unless there is significant inflation, a tax-rate increase or major residential or commercial construction within the district, the revenue stream will remain relatively flat between now and then, Knobloch said.
“With the small increase in revenue in 2010-’11 expenditure increases will also be limited,” he wrote in his budget message. “The small surplus which is budgeted for 2009-’10 will also be utilized to fund expenditure increases. It is anticipated that benefit costs will continue to increase for retirement, and that the district will need to increase its contributions to the self-insurance fund. If benefit costs continue to escalate in 2011-’12, other increases in expenditures, especially salaries, would be limited without additional revenues.”
