YUHSD OKs final budget for 2013
The Yuma Union High School District board unanimously approved the final 2012-2013 budget at a meeting Wednesday.
The budget was adopted at a little under $71.9 million, a smaller budget than last year.
For FY 2013, Maintenance and Operations funds went down .1 percent from last year to $55.152 million, the Unrestricted Capital budget went down by 11.8 percent to $5.9 million and Soft Capital funding increased by 55.5 percent to $816,033.
The board also agreed to have the district use insurance proceeds and funds from insurance claims for necessary repairs and maintenance of facilities. Additionally, it approved the consideration to use condemnation funds, which can be used for only specific uses like construction, to cover costs of final bond projects that are yet to be completed.
Superintendent Toni Badone said that projects under the $70 million bond from 2005 needed to be completed and billable by June 30. She noted that because not all projects are complete, including the construction of the extra classrooms at Cibola, they plan to use the condemnation funds to finish paying for those projects.
The new Cibola classrooms will add another 13,000 square feet for students and teachers, in addition to restrooms between the football and baseball fields.
In other meeting news, the board approved a new job description for a community engagement and communications director funded through a $3.9 million grant from the Helios Education Foundation.
The funds were given to YUHSD in June to help advance the district's recent implementation of its Ready Now Yuma program. The board approved a job description for a Ready Now Yuma director at a previous board meeting.
During the superintendent's report, past Kofa High School assistant principal Mike Sharp was introduced to the board as the new principal for the campus.
Sharp began his career in education at Gwyneth Ham Elementary School in 1994, where he spent six years as a physical education teacher while also coaching sports at the high school level.
He became a biology teacher at Yuma High School in 2000, where he taught until he became the assistant principal and athletic director there in 2002.
Sharp was named the assistant principal at Kofa High School in 2010.
He commented that he feels confident taking on this new role with the support of the staff, community and district. “It's going to be a great ride, I'm very much looking forward to it.”
Sarah Womer can be reached at swomer@yumasun.com or 539-6858. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/YSSarahWomer or on Twitter at @YSSarahWomer.
