FORT WAYNE – Holland Elementary School is making plans for a memorial to honor Aliahna Lemmon, who was killed shortly before Christmas.Southwest Allen County Schools officials are preparing the district’s 2011 budget with hopes they can again avoid the severe budget cuts that have plagued neighboring school districts.
During a school board meeting Tuesday, Business Manager Jim Coplen reviewed the proposed budget for two property tax-supported funds: the debt service fund – the largest property tax supported fund – and the capital projects fund. He also discussed the possibility of reopening the cafeteria in Homestead’s Freshman Academy and moving forward with a plan to install an energy-efficient roof at Summit Middle School.
Coplen estimated the debt service fund would have a budget of $10.4 million. The debt service fund is used primarily for lease rental payments.
Coplen estimated the district’s capital project fund budget would come close to $9.5 million, up from $9.3 million last year. The capital projects fund covers construction, utilities, technology services, landscaping and other costs.
After reviewing various planned building improvement projects, Coplen said the district will wait to see whether it receives federal money before going ahead with an energy conservation project at Summit Middle School. In October, Congress approved $600,000 to help pay for a section of “green” roof at the middle school. But before the district receives the funding, it will need to meet a series of requirements.
The money, sought by former Rep. Mark Souder, R-3rd, was included in a $33.5 billion bill to pay for energy and water agencies and projects next year. If the district receives the money for the roof, it will also make other energy-saving adjustments at Summit.
Coplen also discussed the possibility of reopening the cafeteria in the Homestead Freshman Academy in 2012 to avoid crowding in the high school cafeteria, which is now used by all students. The freshman cafeteria was open when the academy was at Woodside Middle School, which is attached to the high school.
But in recent years the academy cafeteria has been used for storage.
During the cafeteria discussion, Brendan Bogan, a Homestead junior, told district officials that reopening the old cafeteria and using it only for freshmen could disrupt or prevent bonds from forming between freshmen and upperclassmen.
After the meeting, Superintendent Steve Yager said he is happy that the district avoided teacher layoffs last year and hopes the district can avoid making “cuts in the classroom” in 2011.
