Dayton Chronicle - Your Hometown News Source

DAYTON-A budget hearing was held on July 20 for the Dayton School District and the Board adopted the 2022-2023 school year budget. The revised Codes of Conduct for athletes and parents was each approved. Public comment was heard about continuing a full middle school athletic combine.

Former Assistant Director to the Superintendent Jana Eaton who is assuming the Business Manager position, presented information to the Board, Superintendent Rich Stewart and Veronica Perez, the post contracted Business Manager for the budget hearing. Stewart stated the budget “is our best estimate plan based off of our anticipated revenues and our anticipated expenditures.”

Revenues of $100,000 include grants, the levy, as well as the apportionment, salaries and tax monies dispersed from the State. Perez added that she budgeted for enrollment conservatively at 320 but thought it could end up higher based on actual enrollment which would impact the budget. Stewart provided an ending fund balance of $510,000 for the 2021-22, but the final will be known by October. He said for the coming school year it’s anticipated to be higher at $648,000.

Both years exceed the Board’s required minimum of $450,000. Perez provided an updated budget status report that indicated a much higher ending cash balance of $987,000 after grants were closed out by June 30. That number will change as some grants process in July and summer work projects are paid for.

The Codes of Conduct for athletes and parents were presented and approved following revisions to align the codes of both the Dayton and Waitsburg schools. During the public comment portion of the regular meeting, Combine Committee member and parent Jeremy Trump spoke up about having confusion about the discussion at the Combine meeting held on June 1 between the two school boards about moving forward with a full combine for middle school without taking into account input from the Athletic Director nor the Committee. Chairman of the Board Jeff McCowen answered that the discussion is ongoing. Stewart added that it will be a topic at the upcoming Board retreat to determine a direction going forward.

Stewart said in his report that he plans to send regular reports to the Board most weeks and that the administrative team is holding a small retreat to go over about a dozen items to work towards becoming a “cohesive unit” through communication and organization. He will update the Board about any pertinent discussions and will present anything that requires their approval.

He said he feels comfortable Dayton while meeting new people in the community, and also seeing some familiar faces and catching up from his time spent as the District Superintendent from 2004-09.