The Salem Grade School Board was told Thursday night the school year got off to a good start earlier in the day. Both Hawthorn Principal Marty Adams and Franklin Park Principal Tyler Lux say traffic flow from parents dropping off and picking up students went smoother than last year. Lux also reported great energy.
Hawthorn is starting with 28 new students, but a smaller kindergarten class will result in enrollment remaining about the same. Franklin Park will start with 35 new students, but Lux says they also lost 27 students from last year. Overall, he anticipates a small increase in enrollment. Lux says they have adopted the slogan ‘win the day’, with students being asked to take things one day at a time.
Superintendent Dr. Leslie Foppe also shared the enthusiasm on the good start to the school year. She says most of the summer improvements have been completed including a new kitchen floor and a lining put in the sewer pipe that runs under Hawthorn.
Foppe also updated the Franklin Park projects.
“Band room carpet looks fantastic. The gym floor is done and done correctly. The Franklin Park roof was done last week so they will be monitoring that and watching it closely. They have been in communication with the ceiling tiles, they will be installed soon. We were hoping it would be done before school but that did not happen.”
The board approved its tentative budget that is projected to finish $371,408 in the black. The district should also end the year with an overall surplus of $8.5-million. The overall budget includes $12-million in revenue and $11.7-million in expenses. All funds are in the black, except transportation. The tentative budget is now on display, with a public hearing scheduled at six pm on September 21st at the start of the next school board meeting.
In personnel news, the board hired Sarah Buchanan and Kimber Organ as paraprofessionals. One more paraprofessional will be hired in September which will bring the district to full staffing levels.
