By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com

It may seem strange to be ecstatic in the proclamation the start of anything new is, “uneventful.” But in a principal’s world, uneventful when it comes to a new school year is a truly wonderful thing.

Principals Mark Burke, Matt Henderson, and newcomer Erica Dietzel all reported excellent starts to the year and are optimistic for more of the same.

Burke was particularly pleased with the smooth beginnings for so many of the new staff, and Dietzel was positively beaming when she announced that 86 percent of families showed up for the elementary open house.

Superintendent Kevin Kimmel chipped in with a few other details on the way the year has opened. Enrollment is up about 50 students over the end of last year, although Kimmel threw a little caution on that proclamation, tempering the excitement of that number with the fact that the district is still experiencing early-year population fluctuations. Also of note is the fact that a new contract was agreed with the classified staff (see related story).

“I want to thank their union for being willing to negotiate,” Kimmel stated.

RELATED STORY: Bucyrus school board and support staff agree on new contract

One dark spot on the new campaign is that one school bus died rather suddenly, prompting the need for the district to make a purchase. The bus in question was 20 years old, and repairing it would have cost approximately 25 percent of the cost of a new one. The district approved an outlay of $85,451 for new transportation.

Also in finances, Treasurer Ryan Cook clarified what looked to be a rather scary number on his treasurer’s report from July. In that report it shows the district spending $318,000 more than it took in. However, the district is accustomed to receiving its property tax money in July, whereas this year it was not received until Aug. 1. This accounts for the large deficit in July.

Kimmel and Cook led a discussion with board members about pursuing a form of formalized capital planning. There are firms in existence who make it a primary portion of their work to help school districts manage their cash reserves in a responsible manner.

Cook approached the topic by beginning with the cash balance. It currently stands at around $5 million, and from the outside looking this looks pretty good. However, when one begins to consider that the foundation at the elementary school will need work soon, ditto for the running track, asphalts and parking lots as the list goes on, that cash balance begins to look less secure.

Cook speculated that the district could easily spend $1 million to $1.5 million in capital repairs with the list they have on hand right now. Throw in the fact that the .5-mill permanent improvement and .5-mill maintenance levies pull in half the revenue that they used too, and the picture comes into sharper focus.

No official decisions were taken, Kimmel and Cook just asked for board permission to begin sounding out some of these firms for what such services might cost.

The other discussion item on the agenda was for the proposed wellness program sponsored by Mohican Sports Medicine in conjunction with the district. This program will be a wellness and fitness program for staff of Bucyrus City Schools as a means of promoting good health and saving money on insurance costs. The administrations is hoping the health of its staff and finances improve at the same time.

Tim Plumlee, from Mohican Sports Medicine, was on hand to describe how wellness programs will be completely tailored to individual teachers. They will do assessments of each staff member’s health situation at the beginning and help them take the steps they need to achieve the goals they have set out for themselves. This program is completely free of charge for those who wish to participate.