JACKSON SCHOOL BOARD FINDS FUNDS FOR EQUIPMENT FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL

JACKSON -- Howard Alexander, business manager for Jackson Public Schools, had good news for the board Tuesday night: more receipts than expected, less expenditures than expected.

The board reviewed Alexander's estimate for the rest of the budget year, which ends June 30. If all goes as planned, the district will take in $159,590 more than expected and spend $384,394 less than expected, resulting in an estimated ending balance of $3.9 million in the operating account.

Board members congratulated Alexander, who will resign after this year, for another school year in the black. Their positive reactions benefited Jackson Middle School staff as the board approved spending $214,800 of this year's saved budget money on equipment for the new Jackson Middle School.

Construction on the facility is running nearly eight weeks ahead of schedule, and the staff will be ready to begin work there in the summer. However, equipment was to be purchased under the next fiscal year's budget.

"Basically, the staff would be moving in with floor tile and that's it," Alexander said. "They won't have anything to start with this summer, so I recommend an amendment so they can purchase some stock items."

Included on the middle school's shopping list are furniture, equipment and instructional materials for the health services and administrative departments.

In addition, new librarian Betty Riser will have about $110,125 to set up the new library, filling it with reference materials, audio-visual materials and other resources. It should be ready for business when the school opens Aug. 23.

In other action, the board extended congratulations to eight Jackson High School chemistry students who participated in Saturday's Regional Chemistry Bowl. Assistant Superintendent Fred Jones said Jason Enders, Jon Mark Milde, Adam Lorenz, Erica Trickey, John Litzelfelner, Kevin Goodier, Kit Eifert and Nathan Cooley competed against students from 34 other schools.

Milde placed third individually and Cooley won a $2,500 scholarship renewable for four years. Milde and Enders qualified for the National Chemistry Olympiad, to be conducted this summer in Colorado Springs, Colo.

JHS placed second overall in the large school division.

Sponsor Rita Rees has been taking students to the event for six years, and JHS students have won scholarships for three.

Continuing his update to the board, Jones warned that the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Educational Programs is considering eliminating two programs and cutting funding to two others.

Under the subcommittee's proposal, Parents as Teachers and Drug Free Schools would be eliminated. Chapter One and the Eisenhower Program would be cut by 2 percent and 20 percent, respectively.

Jones said if full House action is taken this week, the Senate must act to agree to these program cuts.

Jones said he would keep the board informed in future meetings.