By Andrew Walsh
awalsh@wbcowqel.com
Interim Treasurer Randy Harvey delivered a solid year-end review of the Galion School District finances. Harvey, who is working with the district part-time from Ontario City Schools, is replacing the departed treasurer Terri Day in the interim.
Harvey reported that the school ended the year with a surplus of around $500,000. The year-end cash balance in the general fund is around $1.8 million. Harvey added that Day’s projections should see those numbers increasing as well.
The state champion girls’ 4×100 meter relay team received recognition from the administration. Clair Elsten, Sydney Hunt, Michaela Sloan, and Mikaila Grimes were recognized. Laura McElligot was absent as she has already gone off to college.
Sandy Powell’s update on the first year of the third grade reading guarantee was a positive one. Out of 164 third graders, only 15 had to undergo some summer catch-up work. Of those 15, 13 passed to the fourth grade level.
The other two, although having advanced to the fourth grade in their other studies, will remain at the third grade reading level starting the new school year. They will receive a mid-year evaluation to see if they can advance to the next level.
Much of the rest of the meeting was dominated by personnel moves to ready for the new school year. One of these moves saw assistant golf coach Mark Barrier named as the head girls’ golf coach. Enough girls have gone out to make their own team, and Barrier was named as their head coach.
The district approved a contract with Transfinder, which is a bus routing program. This contract, which is about $2,000 per year for five years, is expected to save the district some money in the transportation budget. Harvey stated that they have used it at Ontario to great effect.