Part time band position to be posted

by Peter Jakey, Managing Editor

School officials from the Onaway Area Community Schools are taking a rare dose of good financial news coming out of Lansing cautiously.

It appears a budget deal struck last week will not include additional cuts to the state aid formula to the tune of $268 per student. Instead, lawmakers are giving back some of the money they took away late last fall.

It?s not a lot, at about $11 per student; however, combined the district will realize an additional $194,742 in revenue. It will erase the red ink from the 2010-11 budget, and make it possible for the board to revisit the issue of the vacant band director position.

Board members received copies of the compromise between the state house and senate version of the state aid bill. Interim superintendent/business manager Rod Fullerton said it was his understanding that Gov. Jennifer Granholm still needs to sign, but that?s not expected to be an issue.

Board members had a stack of paperwork to sift through, which included two pages of Onaway?s budget summaries. ?As you see, our bottom line will increase to a positive $3,264?too good to be true, maybe,? stated Fullerton in his memorandum to board members. ?I do not believe this means we run out and spend all of the new-found money. However, I do believe that we could realistically and financially consider a part time band director.?

Later in the meeting, the item ?part time band director? came up as an agenda item, and the board approved the posting.

?The worst that could happen is nobody would apply,? said Fullerton. ?At least we can post it and see what happens.?

Fullerton said, if the financial situation were more of a sure thing, then maybe he would have recommended a fulltime band director. He believes it won?t be until January, when lawmakers have a better idea about the fiscal stability of the state during the annual revenue estimating conference, that districts will know where they stand. Board member Sharon Lyon suggested looking at a fulltime position next year when they formulate the budget, ?if there are no more big cuts coming down.?

IN OTHER business: – Formal action was taken to hire Eddie Szymoniak as the boys? varsity basketball coach and Bob Grossman as the junior varsity football coach. Both men were the only applicants.

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