The Dale School District is receiving more than $1.7 million to purchase clean school buses as part of the Biden Administration’s Investing in America agenda.
Dale is one of a dozen school districts in Oklahoma and one of 530 across the nation to be selected for the Environmental Protection agency’s Clean School Bus Program rebate competition.
School Supt. Will Jones indicated prior to the Dale Board of Education’s monthly meeting Monday night that he is still preparing the details of how the district will utilize the funds.
Board members approved the hiring of current support staff in a capacity to be determined by the administration for the 2024-2025 school year.
They also approved the hiring of new support staff in a capacity to be determined by the administration for the 2024-2025 school year. They include Skylar Thompson, Tara Welcher, Jessie Premo and Kayleigh Merrick.
Board members also approved participation in an Alternative Education Program with Prague Public Schools.
They also approved of using Pottawatomie County Education Sales Tax Funds to pay utilities and fuel costs for Fiscal Year 2025 as needed, Jones explained.
Jones, in his superintendent’s report, informed board members the roofing project “has been going since school was out, they’ve been working really hard and the project should be done in July,” he noted.
He addressed the issue of school transfers that opened June 1, describing it as “as free for all. Hold your breath until July,” he told board members. There’s a line and we’re trying to find it. It’s more volatile with the new laws,” he added.
Also during his report, Jones reviewed financial information with the board showing how May of this year compared to the same month in 2023.
The warrants as of May 2024 were $5,383,238 and in May of 2023 they were $4,905,865.
That’s an increase of $477,373 over May of 2023, he noted.
Building Fund cash balance in May of this year was $2,062,575 compared to $181,466 in May of 2023. That’s an increase of $1,881,101. Jones pointed out the true balance after the roofing project is $302,030.
The General Fund cash balance in May of this year stood at $2,033,567, about $1,069,682 more than the $963,885 balance in May of 2023, he said.
State Aid received as of May of 2024 is $3,821,783 and that is an increase of $1,043,682 over the $2,778,101 of May 2023.
The County sales tax balance in May of this year was $363,516 and May of 2023 was $585,986 he said, a decline of $222,470. May’s sales tax check was $27,301.
The amount of 2022-2023 Esser III budget is $219,130.