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Pike school board approves budget

Staff

Published Wednesday, September 17, 2008

The Pike County Board of Education on Monday gave final approval to a budget of more than $20 million for the current school year.

The combined budget for all funds shows projected revenue at $23,139,176 and expenses at $22,863,760. A draft of the budget came before the board in August.

Superintendent Mark Bazzell called the budget "very good." He said the school system came out better than he had expected earlier in the year when the state legislature ended its regular session without passing the education budget.

The state education budget was passed during a special legislative session over the summer.

"The budget worked out a lot better than we anticipated considering the state legislature waited until the summer to tell us what the funding would look like," Bazzell said.

The school board is hoping for an ending balance of $2.8 million for the fiscal year.

In other business the school board:

• Approved the extension of employment contracts for Pike County Elementary School principal Dr. Ken Bynum and Banks principal Dr. Mark Head.

• Approved the hire of Martha Hughes as a special needs bus aide.

• Approved the employment of Roger Grenon as a bus driver.

• Approved the hire of Rebecca Kelly as a secretary/bookkeeper in the central office

• Approved teachers to serve as High Hopes tutors at Goshen High School and Pike County High School

• Approved coaching recommendations and volunteers for the current school year.

• Approved the sale of two surplus buses to Alabama Buses Unlimited.

• Approved an agreement with American Fidelity Assurance Company to administer the school system's 403(b) plan for employees.

• The board also OK'd a request from the Goshen High School Ag Department to take Goshen and Pike County High School students to the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie, Ga. on Oct. 14.

The school board also entered a closed executive session to hear an appeal of the Superintendent's discipline council.

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