SS SCHOOL BOARD
It was almost all good news for the Sulphur Springs School Board as they heard the district’s annual Financial and Compliance Report for last school year from outside auditing firm Rutherford, Taylor and Company of Greenville. Michael Taylor delivered the report, which included a clean opinion from the firm and a finding of no deficiencies. However there was finding of non-compliance that Taylor referred to as a ding. Two auditing visits uncovered what Taylor called the district’s overextending function expenditure categories at the end of the year. The district, in an extracurricular account in the general fund, spend $66,000 more than appropriated funds. Taylor noted the constitution says they can’t spend dollars that aren’t appropriated, that’s the rule. The problem areas were for capital outlays for construction and in food service support due to federal commodities that have to be treated as both revenues and expenditures. Overall the budget actually reflected expenses some $726,000 below revenues. Taylor also praised the district’s tax collection rate and the 56-cents of every dollar that is spent for classroom instruction. He called that a very good ratio. The board approved the audit.
They also approved a District Improvement Plan presented by Assistant Superintendent Betty Lawson. She called the plan a composite of all the district’s campus improvement plans. It contains goals and objectives and the required plan is an overview of how state and federal funds are spent in the district.
Ms. Lawson also gave a report on the district’s $9.2-million in non-competitive grants for things such as special ed, career and technology, reading intervention, teacher and principal training, bilingual education and migrant education. The district currently has no competitive grants. Ms. Lawson says they have dried up.
School Board members were also recognized, as January is School Board appreciation month. Some campuses sent gifts to board members, they were praised by Superintendent Michael Lamb and the High School Culinary Class served them dinner.
Tax Collector Sandra Gibby, who also handles elections for the district, told the board candidates could file for board positions beginning January 28 until February 27. Filing takes place in the Tax Office. The election day is May 9.
Students once again led those present in pledges to the U.S. Flag and Texas Flag. High School tenth grader Emily Johnson, daughter of Clay and Heather Johnson, led the pledge to the U.S. Flag. Travis 2nd graders, Jaicee Jasmer, daughter of Matt and Karen Jasmer, and Jose Salas, son of Jose Salas and Ana Ramirez, led the pledge to the Texas Flag.
AUDITOR’S REPORT
The Sulphur Springs School Board voted to approve the district’s annual Financial and Compliance Report for last school year presented Monday night by Michael Taylor with the firm of Rutherford, Taylor and Company of Greenville. Here is some of what Taylor told the board Monday night.
EVALUATION AND AUDIT
During a Monday night regular meeting, the Sulphur Springs School Board completed their evaluation of Superintendent Michael Lamb and voted to extend his three-year contract by one year. The Board also heard a mostly good financial and compliance audit report of last school year. The audit featured a clean opinion from Rutherford, Taylor and Company and no deficiencies. However auditor Michael Taylor did report what he called one ding, a finding of non-compliance. I talked about that with School Superintendent Michael Lamb Tuesday morning.
