The R-3 School District's annual budget remains on track and met all goals for the fiscal year ending June 30, Superintendent David Tramel told members of the New Bloomfield Board of Education Thursday night.
Tramel said a conservative budget was prepared and the district has adhered to the spending plan specified in the budget. That included a freeze on salaries except for allowances provided because of teacher education.
The final allotment of state school formula aid arrived a few days ago. "It was $70,000 more than budgeted," Tramel said.
When the budget was prepared, Tramel reduced the estimate of state aid anticipated by the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education by 1.5 percent to make allowances for any shortfalls in anticipated state aid. The budget, he said, still remains tight with little room for changes.
"Our budget is in much better condition than last year at this time," Tramel said. Last summer the district was forced to cut 10 jobs and two programs in order to balance the budget.
Tramel said work is continuing on big improvements of the outdoor playground area for the elementary school. "Asphalt crews are expected next Monday," Tramel said.
Board member Craig Abbott reported the New Bloomfield R-3 Parent-Teacher Association is donating $6,454 more to playground improvements. "When previous PTA contributions to this project are added, the PTA has donated a total of $8,954 for the outdoor playground area," Abbott said.
In other action, the board approved a plan by Darren Humphrey, the school's high school agriculture teacher, to supervise an FFA project to create an educational walking trail that would be open to the public as well as providing training to students.
Humphrey said the Missouri Department of Conservation would provide native grasses. Forbs - or flowering herbaceous plants such as sunflowers - also would be provided by the state agency on a cost-sharing basis.
Humphrey said an estimated $400 in expenses would be covered by fundraising efforts by the FFA students he advises.