The Oroville Elementary School has received a fresh coat of paint over the summer. Photo by Gary DeVon

OROVILLE – At their Monday, July 25 meeting the Oroville School Board passed a $7,181,000 operating budget for the 2011-12 school year based on a projected enrollment of 600 students.

The General Fund Budget is $6.7 million, Transportation and Vehicle Funds are $140,000, Capital Projects, $74,000, Debt Service $82,000 and ASB Fund $185,000.

The budget represents a slight decrease in the current year’s budget, reflecting cuts made by the state in funding, according to Superintendent Steve Quick. The state pays basic education funds based on FTE’s or Full Time Equivalent students. In the past, as they were again this year, the Oroville School Board has taken a conservative approach and based their budget on 15 fewer students than projected will actually be attending in the fall. If there are more then the district will collect more state funds and benefit from the boards’ built in cushion.

“If the budget is too high and the students aren’t there in September that would be a real problem. Fortunately the enrollment has been steady for the last five or six years and we’re hoping it stays as steady as it has been,” said Quick.

“I move to approve motion 07.25.185 approving Resolution 244 fixing and adopting the budget for the 2011-2012 school year,” said Board Member Patti Garrett. The motion received a second from Board Member Rich Solberg and passed unanimously.

Under “Good News and Announcements” Chairwoman Tedi Fletcher said the school looks “amazing.”

“It’s an amazing change at the grade school. It looks like we have a new building over there,” said Fletcher, referring to the freshly repainted elementary school building.

In his Superintendent Report, Steve Quick said the exterior of the elementary building was finished being painted and that maintenance staff was working on completing the bus garage in matching colors.

“With all the painting this summer we are getting less of the deep cleaning we usually do in the summer done,” said Quick, who added that the high school locker rooms had been painted and that the PTO had volunteered to do some of the painting.

“We are also getting whiter lighting put in the gym, which will please many of you, especially the photographers among you,” Quick said.

The superintendent asked that a Board Workshop be scheduled for Aug. 8 to set school board goals for next year and that an employee grievance hearing be set for Aug. 15. He also discussed an Aug. 9 meeting of the Pre-bond Committee regarding the district holding a bond or three-year capital levy election for the elementary school.

“First we need to get the report on the roof back,” said Quick.

The superintendent reported that there had been some vandalism to the high school when someone climbed on the roof and took the letters that say “Oroville” off the front of the building entrance.

“There are some clues one person was caught on video… the incident is being taken care of by the Oroville Police Force,” he said. “When getting people to work on the buildings all summer long it is a bit discouraging.”

In the agenda Quick pointed out two items for the board’s attention: the Three Day Waiver being sought from the state from the required 180 days of student time and the resignation of teacher/coach Carl Iverson.

“In regards to the waiver, teachers will come in three days prior to the beginning of the school year and the year will end three days less,” said Quick.

“Mr. Iverson’s resignation leaves a hole in the secondary school schedule, we are moving Jordon over to math full time at the high school,” he said. “We have also posted today for a half-time music teacher at the elementary school.”

Quick said the district also had some grant opportunities that have been awarded the district. The first is an IT Academy Grant from Microsoft, which will be coordinated by teachers Tony Kindred and Ed Naillon.

“The grant provides a whole variety of software packages and Oroville is one of only 60 schools that was awarded the grant through Microsoft. “It involves multiple packages where students can qualify in the software.

The second grant is from AmeriCorp and the district will be hiring two AmeriCorp people at a cost of only $6000 to the district.

“That will help soften the blow,” said Business Manager Shay Shaw, referring to cutbacks in staff due to the state budget crisis.

Quick recognized the PTO and Scott Rich’s efforts to obtain a grant for a flashing light at both ends of the school zone.

“It was hard work on the PTO’s part and a few other people,” said Quick. “In addition we are trying to get some sort of student drop-off zone.”

Rich thanked Quick and Shaw for their help in securing the flashing light grant.