[03/30/01] A local legislator gave Vicksburg Warren School District hopeful news this week about this year’s and next year’s deficits in state education funds.

“Sen. Mike Chaney felt we would have most of our deficit taken care of this year,” Superintendent Donald Oakes told trustees Thursday night. “The impact for this year is not major, and he felt real good about next year.”

Because state income has been less than projected, rounds of cutbacks have been announced, including reductions in the Education Enhancement Fund and Minimum Foundation Funds. EEF money is used for textbooks, transportation operations, instructional materials and classroom supplies, assistant teachers, health insurance and additional support service funds. Minimum Foundation money is used for teacher salaries, health insurance and overall transportation costs and was predicted to drop 2 percent to 3 percent for the 2001-02 budget year, which starts July 1.

Including revenue from all sources, the 9,200-student district planned to spend $53.2 million this year, of which $3.081,045 was to be EEF money. When the state check came, it was $433,000 less than expected. More than half of the district’s budget comes from state and federal funds; the local share is $19 million.

Chaney, R-Vicksburg, told Oakes Thursday afternoon that EEF money will probably be used to cover the statewide deficit. In a meeting earlier this month, Chaney also told trustees that a local tax increase may be necessary.

“Hopefully, we won’t have to raise taxes,” Oakes told trustees. “But we want to provide what’s necessary for our kids.”

The district currently reaps the benefits of a 43.88-mill rate from local property taxes, and the rate hasn’t been increased since 1998, Oakes said this month. State law provides for a minimum of 28 mills and a maximum of 55 mills.

In a separate issue, Vicksburg High teacher Betsy Selby presented trustees with a letter and petition signed by 49 of the school’s approximately 90 teachers asking them to consider changing from a block schedule to a regular seven-period day.

At last month’s board meeting, Selby told trustees that the block schedule “exhausts and frustrates teachers who care, and it encourages laziness and procrastination.”

Used by both high schools since the early 1990s, the block schedule enrolls students in eight courses that meet every other day. Some students are finished with their classes as early as 11 a.m. on certain days. At last month’s meeting, Selby said many students arrive for class unprepared because the schedule gives them an excuse not to do homework or study. She added that many educators in the district share her opinion about the block schedule.

“We need to have evidence to support the change,” Assistant Superintendent Jimmie Mullins said Thursday night. “We don’t need to change just for the sake of changing.”

Oakes said no decision will be made until teachers from both high schools have a chance to voice their opinions. Trustees plan to discuss the issue with teachers from Warren Central at next month’s board meeting.

Trustees also:

Approved more back overtime pay of $13,649.84 to employees who worked more than 40 hours a week. Checks will be issued April 6.

Accepted a $900 donation from Cooper Lighting to Warren Central High to cover expenses of the Mississippi Student Council Conference.

Accepted a $1,000 donation from Vampco and a $1,500 donation from Catchings B. Smith to the Robotics Class at Warren Central High for supplies and travel.

Accepted a $2,500 donation from Bowmar Elementary PTA for playground equipment.

Accepted a $93.65 donation from SAKS Incorporated to the Vicksburg Junior High choral department.

Accepted a $1,593 donation from Warren Central Viking Singers Booster Club for the purchase of a keyboard lab for the choral department.

Accepted a $100 donation from the Warren County Forestry Association to Dana Road Elementary for the purchase of birdhouses and bird seed.

Accepted a $1,000 donation to South Park Elementary and a $2,000 donation to Dana Road Elementary from Weyerhauser Company Foundation for the Excellence in Recycling Award in Mississippi.

Accepted a $50 donation from the Southern United Methodist University students for supplies used during the spring break day camp at the Grove Street building.

Accepted a $300 donation from Entergy to Warren Central High Student Council.

Accepted a $25,000 grant to Redwood Elementary from Simpson Dura-Vent.

Approved recommendations for substitute employees for the remainder of the 2000-01 school year.

Approved recommendations for employees in transportation, maintenance, purchasing and nutrition for the 2000-01 school year.

Approved out-of-state travel for the Warren Central Robotics Team to Orlando, Fla., for the National Robotics Competition April 5-7.

Approved out-of-state travel for Vicksburg High basketball coach Kerry Simmons to Fort Walton Beach, Fla., for the Nike Fort Walton Beach Basketball Coaching Clinic April 27-29.

Approved out-of-state travel for Warren Central High NJROTC cadets to Pensacola, Fla., for the National Drill Competition April 5-9.

Approved out-of-state travel for self-contained special education students at Warren Central Intermediate to the zoo in Monroe for one day during the week of May 7-11.

Approved out-of-state travel for Warren Central High teacher Cynthia Joy to Tuscaloosa, Ala., for AP Physics Training at the University of Alabama July 9-13.

Approved out-of-state travel for GATES students from Redwood, Beechwood and Sherman Avenue to Poverty Point in Epps, La. April 4.

Approved out-of-state travel for teacher Kraig Rittenhouse and four Warren Central High students to the Close Up Foundation Week in Washington, D.C. April 15-21.

Approved an emergency repair to roof leaks at Vicksburg Junior High. The cost of the repair was $3,953.50.

Approved a hunting, fishing and recreation sub-lease of 16th Section land awarded to W.C. Thompson in July 1999 to Lamar Barnett for three years on the hunting/fishing lease and four years on the recreation lease.

Approved purchase of course work and instructional software from PLATO, sole provider of the software, for the high school vocational departments. The cost of the software for Warren Central is $2,040, and the cost for Vicksburg High is $3,075.

Approved purchase of testing materials for Warren Central’s vocational department from CTB/McGraw-Hill, sole provider of the materials . The cost of the materials is $2,227.

Approved purchase of reading materials from Saxon Publishers Incorporated, sole provider of the materials, for Dana Road Elementary. The cost is $5,780.16.

Approved the purchase of curriculum materials for the VWSD special education department through two Mississippi Department of Education grants.

Approved a request to Warren County Board of Supervisors for repairs to bus turnarounds at 2708 Jeff Davis Road and 160 Breeland Road.

Signed a $1.5 million grant proposal for the development of a community learning project, facilitated by The Island Project, a non-profit organization. The grant funds after-school enrichment programs for junior high and high school students in the district.

Signed a grant proposal initiated by Good Shepherd Center Inc. for an Even Start grant to be used for parenting and professional development programs at the Grove Street building.

Signed a $1.5 million grant proposal for parenting classes and K-4 after-school, summer and Saturday programs at Grove Street, Bowmar and South Park.