Hannibal school district to receive $1.1 million reimbursement

Never let it be said that persistence doesn’t pay off. It has in the amount of $1.1 million to the Hannibal public school district, thanks to the diligence of Roger McGregor, director of the Hannibal Career and Technical Center.
On McGregor’s fourth attempt at applying for state reimbursement funds for construction, dollars have been designated for Hannibal which will cover half the cost of the district’s Annex building which went into service at the start of the current school year.
“I commend Roger because he never gave up,” praised Superintendent Jill Janes during Wednesday night’s meeting of the Hannibal Board of Education. “He was very diligent.”
The reimbursement program was set up to assist vocational schools which serve multiple school districts, which the HCTC does. However, in some years no money was available or the bill containing the funding did not make it through the Legislature. In other years only select school districts received reimbursement funding.
According to Janes, McGregor traveled to the Capitol in order to testify before legislators.
McGregor said State Rep. Rachel Bringer, D-Palmyra, was the bill’s chief supporter in the House. In the Senate, State Sen. Wes Shoemyer, D-Clarence, oversaw the bill.
“We wouldn’t be receiving this money without them,” said McGregor.
The money is a part of an overall $22 million funding bill which has yet to be signed by Gov. Matt Blunt. If the bill is signed Janes anticipates receiving the funding sometime in July.
The revenue will go in the district’s capital projects fund.
In other business:
• New administrators were introduced to the board. Maria Mundle, currently principal at Stowell Elementary School, will become the district’s first director of curriculum and instruction. Her successor at Stowell will be Brenda Zessin, who is currently a teacher in the Quincy public school district.
Also present Wednesday was Shelia Tuley, who is a math teacher at the high school. Tuley has been promoted to the position of assistant principal at the high school.
• Preliminary enrollment numbers for summer school are strong, according to Susan Johnson, assistant superintendent.
At the pre-K through fourth grade level, enrollment is up by 250 over last year for the morning session. The approximately 500 students signed up for the afternoon enrichment session at Veterans Elementary School is comparable to last year. The projected 905 student total represents around half the district’s elementary enrollment.
Enrollment is up by 50 students for both the morning and afternoon sessions at the middle school. At the high school, an enrollment increase of 20 students has been seen for the enrichment program.
“It is looking really positive,” said Johnson. “We’re thrilled that that many families want to send their kids to summer school.”
Board members approved the district’s summer school application and the hiring of administrators and teachers for the summer session.
The summer session begins June 2.
• In a preliminary budget report for 2008-09, Janes reported that expenditures will increase by approximately $1 million due to increases in salaries (4 percent), health insurance (10.5 percent) and electricity (35 percent). The superintendent added that sufficient revenues are expected to cover the increase.
• To help approximately 15 percent of district employees avoid IRS penalties, the board voted to pay all district employees over a 12-month period. Previously, employees who work nine months, such as clerical workers, cafeteria workers and bus drivers, were given the option to be paid over nine months or 12 months. Without the change, those working less than 12 months, but who were paid over 12 months were subject to a 20 percent tax penalty. However, with all employees being paid over 12 months, the IRS regulation will not impact any school district employee.
• Board members approved the local special education compliance plan certification statement.