HCS ends fiscal year with more than 900K surplus

The Hillsboro City Schools have finished the fiscal year with a more than $900,000 surplus, good news for the district, considering they had anticipated the possibility of ending the year in the red. 

The HCS board of education met at the Scott House for their last meeting of the fiscal year Wednesday, and district treasurer Debbie Lawwell reported on the closing financials. The fiscal year ends June 30. 

The district has an ending balance of $4,141,028, compared to $3,201,298 this time last year.

Lawwell reported that several factors went into creating the surplus of $939,000. 

"Expenses came in less, and we had more revenue," Lawwell said. 

The increased revenue included increases in "rollbacks."

Board member Ken Shull, who chairs the board's finance committee, had anticipated a small deficit by the end of the fiscal year, and said that he was glad, in this case, that he was wrong. 

Lawwell said that she had not anticipated that the surplus would be quite so high, so she joked that she was wrong too. 

"It's a good wrong," Shull said. 

Board member Bill Myers said, "This is exciting news."

"It has been a good day," Lawwell said. 

The board voted 4-0 to approve the amended certificates of estimated resources, final appropriations for fiscal year 2011, final appropriations.  

Board president Laura Bagshaw was not in attendance. 

The board met in executive session for approximately 50 minutes to discuss the sale of property and compensation of public employees. 

When the board voted to enter back into regular session, the board voted to approve an assistant elementary principal's position for 203 days. 

The board did not discuss the sale of property in open session.

The next board meeting is scheduled for July 20. 

In other business, the board: 

• Voted 4-0 to approve an advance from food services in the amount of $30,000, which was previously advanced from the general fund on June 29, 2009 to be advanced backed to the general fund. 

• Voted 4-0 to approve the following resignations: Laura Dawes as a teacher at Hillsboro Elementary; Megan Ford-Eubanks, head cheer coach; Angela Ritchie, custodian at Hillsboro Elementary; Karen Trout, part-time aid at St. Mary School; Jon Dolph, weight room supervisor. 

• Voted 3-0 to approve the following emplacements: Paige Earley, assistant high school cheer coach; Crystal Myers, teacher at Hillsboro Elementary; Shannon Yochum, high school science teacher. Myers abstained from the vote. 

• Voted 4-0 voted to approve a policy for energy conservation. 

• Voted 4-0 to approve a contract with the Brown County Educational Service Center in the amount of $3,250.