Columbia school board approves budget for 2017-2018 school year

The Columbia Board of Education voted Monday night to approve the schools’ budget for the 2017- 2018 school year.

According to the last finance committee meeting, Columbia Public Schools is operating with a budget of $215,197,741 and is projected to spend $212,727,830 of it, leaving $2,469,911.

According to the school board and district, the 2017-2018 top priority was to improve compensation and benefits for employees and teachers, which amounted to $126,051,095 in salaries and $42,553,440 in improved benefits.

Priorities

Other priorities that the board and district had include: support more career and technical education, special education programs, invest in technology for students, opening and operating new Cedar Ridge Elementary School and new middle school.

Additions

Some additions to the budget include an increase in technology services, adding more teachers in fellows classrooms, adding more Chinese language sections, support staff for nursing at elementary schools, and a fine arts teacher.

One-time additions

Some one-time additions that are included in the budget include: Grant Elementary addition of classroom aides, playground supervisor, math curriculum, mobile classroom lease at Gentry Middle School, new time clock system.

Reductions

Some reductions that are in the budget include: reducing mail drivers, custodial operating budgets, saving sub costs, reducing out-of-state travel, reducing some technology replenishing budget, supplies.

Other items

The board also approved the contract for sale and purchase of a site for the new middle school. More than 20 sites were identified and evaluated. Superintendent Peter Stiepleman told ABC 17 News the district is looking at a property on Sinclair Road near Mill Creek Elementary School. The land is currently owned by the University of Missouri, so the Board of Curators will have to approve the purchase.