Budget amendments equaled a special-called meeting for Williston District 29.
The school board approved a list of amendments in a special-called Jan. 24 meeting, including tens of thousands of dollars in legal fees and costs related to the retirement of Superintendent Alexia Clamp and the search for her replacement.
While the district originally budgeted $13,000 for legal fees, they have spent or plan to spend $28,000 through June 30, 2012, according to a financial report of budget amendments provided by the district.
The board held two meetings last year—Oct. 3 and Nov. 15—where they received legal advice. Clamp’s retirement announcement followed those meetings.
Expenses incurred because of Clamp’s retirement along with costs for Interim Superintendent Dr. Everette Dean Jr. and the search for a permanent superintendent led to a need to amend the budget.
According to the report, the district is paying $42,500—budgeted at $425 a day for 25 weeks—for Dr. Dean’s salary. This is in addition to what they will pay Clamp.
They are also adding $9,549—$95.49 per night for 100 nights—to the superintendent’s original $1,500 travel budget to pay for Dr. Dean’s lodging. They are also increasing the travel costs for the office of the superintendent from $1,200 to $9,260 to reflect an estimated $310 in mileage and meals per week for 26 weeks, according to the report.
They also are paying $11,000 to the South Carolina School Boards Association to assist in the search for a permanent superintendent.
Board member Calvin Melton made a motion to approve the list of amendments which was seconded by Scotty Richardson. The motion was unanimously approved.
Other amendments include:
-A decrease of $146,533.99 in the base student funding the state pays districts under the Education Finance Act of 1977, the report states.
The change came after the state had around 6,000 more students—861,048 to 867,240—than originally thought in the public school system this year. “It was a significant change,” said Sally Kardes, the district’s director of finance.
-An extra $52,809.85 in insurance proceeds for damage caused by the Kelly Edwards Elementary School roof which leaked—and has since been re-roofed. The total for those proceeds now stands at $74,907.41, according to the report.