A funding request for the gifted and talented program at Sally Mauro resulted in a debate among Carbon County Board of Education members about what schools should get extra money on Aug. 9.
Principal Michael O’Shea was on the agenda of the last public board meeting.
Carbon High also approached the board for money to hire a paraprofessional to help with the resurrected debate program at the School.
Carbon High requested $9,198 while Sally Mauro wanted $15,000 for the year.
Board member Jim Leonard indicated that he wasn’t sure he wanted to approve the money for the Helper elementary school.
“I am concerned here,” said. Leonard. “What if other schools come in and want money for the same program or different programs? Do we have enough money to give all the schools that ask an additional $15,000?”
Superintendent David Armstrong told the board that Carbon School District’s budget had money to fund certain types of programs.
But not all of the schools could request and receive that much money.
“We have two other schools that have other kinds of programs that we fund in a similar way,” explained the superintendent. “With those and this, however, all those funds are tied up.”
Leonard said he wondered what would happen if other schools wanted money after all of the funds were used.
“Is Sally Mauro the only school that is or will be asking for money?” asked Leonard.
Armstrong indicated that he has an understanding with the schools that they would have to wait until another year and make requests.
But Leonard was still concerned about what might happen if other schools ask for the same type of funding.
“But what will we do, as a board, if they come in here seeking funds?” asked Leonard. “If we have given it to one, how can we not give it to another?”
“We just tell them we don’t have the money this year,” replied the superintendent.
Sally Mauro has had a strong gifted and talented program for years. O’Shea explained the school’s need to continue the program, with Tammy King providing the services she has in the last couple of years.
There was little debate about whether to give Carbon High the requested money.
The board met with concerned community members last spring when the high school was considering giving up the forensic program. A summer workshop also attracted dozens of potential high school debaters. And approval for giving the debate coach assistance for the current school year was a given.
After discussing the money situation, the board members all voted to grant the funding requests from Sally Mauro and the high school .
Introducing a second money matter at the Aug. 9 board of education meeting, business administrator Bill Jewkes presented a request for approval to lease the oil, gas and mineral rights on several parcels of school district land to an energy development company.
The 29.67 acres exist in a strip of land located between Wellington and Price as well as the property where Carbon High is located.
The district had been offered $4,450.50 for the lease and a 15 percent royalty on any production from the property.
One board member was concerned that the company might decide to engage in surface extraction activities on the Carbon High property.
Jewkes assured the education board that the company had no intentions of attempting to develop the Carbon High site. But the company could extract the existing gas from a well site some distance away from the school property.
Addressing an unrelated matter, the board of education members reviewed the district’s goals for the 2006-2007 school year.
The school district’s goals include:
• Having all students in kindergarten to third grade reading at grade level.
•Having all students in fourth to 11th grade scoring at or higher than normal on the Iowa Reference Test and on CORE testing programs.
•Having all special education students make progress on individual education plan.
•Having all students with severe disabilities make progress according to the Utah alternative assessment program.
•Expecting teachers to demonstrate instructional and content area competence through a number of steps.
•Having district staff visit school classrooms.
•Cooperating with community and governmental organizations on making schools better.
•Submitting capital outlay projects in the district in a timely manner.
•Completing all capital outlay projects under the supervision of the district’s buildings and grounds department.
•Following building codes on capital outlay projects.
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