School Approves Budget; Sets Tax Rate
After a public meeting Aug. 30, which no one from the public attended, the GCISD board approved a $10 million budget which projects $9.9 million in expenditures. They also set a tax rate of 1.0973 per $100 valuation, which includes .08 in debt service related to the construction project. The school district has approximately $3.4 million in reserves.
Much of the school district’s annual expense is related to salaries and benefits for its employees (57 full-time and 1 part-time). Superintendent Steve Long is paid $78,000 per year while All-school Principal Ken Hoskins makes $66,000.
The district pays classroom teachers $6,000 above the state-required base salary. State base (minimum 187 days) for a beginning teacher with no experience is $27,320; with five years experience, base is $31,560; ten years experience pays a base of $37,040, and for 20 or more years experience, $44,270.
Bookkeeper Kathy Wheat makes $43,886; elementary school secretary ReeAnn McKinnon makes $36,675 and high school secretary Dinette Watkins makes $29,356. These three and Yolanda Gamboa get three percent increases each year, because of either more than 20 years service or special duties.
Both School Nurse Christy Seidenberger and Testing/Curriculum Coordinator Misty Kinnibrugh are paid on the teachers’ schedule, plus Seidenberger gets an extra $1,000 for EMS certification.
GCISD pays additional $5,500 coaching stipends and a $6,200 assistant principal’s stipend.
Other, non-professional positions are paid according to a salary scale based on length of service (0 – 20 years) and days per year required. The cafeteria manager works 185 days and is paid $12.13 per hour with five years experience, $13.39 per hour with ten years experience, and $14,75 with fifteen years. The maintenance department head works 261 days and is paid $25,380 with five years experience, $26,970 with ten years and $29,760 with fifteen years. Maintenance workers start at $8 per hour, go to $9.27 per hour with five years experience and $10.73 with ten years experience. Bus drivers start at $8.16 per hour, move to $9 per hour at five years to $10.73 at ten years and $12.36 at twenty years.
Cafeteria and cleaning personnel work 185 days and start at $7 per hour, make $8.12 at five years and $9.41 at ten years. Instructional aides work 187 days and begin at $11.400, make $13,715 at five years and $16,030 at ten years. Secretaries work 197 days and begin at $13,300, make $16,390 at five years, $19,480 at ten, and $26,173 at more than twenty years.
Note: the salaries listed above do not include benefits.
The GCISD board walked through the almost-completed vocational-ag shop during its meeting Sept. 10. The shop will possibly be complete in two weeks, according to Jerry Thomas, job superintendent.
The board accepted the high bid of $1,050,25 from Ambrosia Mesa for a 1996 Crown Victoria and $1,005 from Jerry Thomas for a 1998 Ford F250 pickup with a blown engine. Other bids were $851 and $900 for the car and $1,000 for the pickup.
Enrollment, K –12, is 258, down from 271 at the end of school last year. There are 17 in Pre-K, 137 in grades K – 6, 37 in junior high and 84 in high school.