Early student numbers down at MACS

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By KEN GARNER

MOUNT AYR, Iowa — As the Mount Ayr Community School district is in the process of certifying the current year’s enrollment numbers, Superintendent Jason Shaffer reported to the Board of Education that preliminary numbers are down during its regularly scheduled board meeting Monday afternoon at the district office.
“We knew we would be down and we will be down again next year as we’re graduating more than we’re bringing in,” Shaffer said.
Although the number has yet to be certified, Shaffer reported the number to be approximately 20-25 fewer students.
“There’s just fewer kids in our district boundary right now,” Shaffer told the board. “So, we will continue to trend down for at least one more year, if not beyond that.”
The board reviewed and approved the Certified Annual Report.
Board Secretary Stephanie Newton informed the board of the district’s finances in regards to the report and that the general fund had a total fund equity of was reported at $2,011,237.57.
“Overall we had a really good year,” Newton told the board. “We said that we want to hit that $2 million mark each year. So we’re right where we want to be. And the other funds are looking pretty good in the future.”
In regards to the report’s findings, Shaffer told the board that the audit itself “went really smooth.”
Newton reported that findings were fairly routine.
“The only findings that we had are the same ones that we always have — segregation of duties,” she said.
There was another discrepancy reported that was due to a student count that was minor in nature.
In regards to the segregation of duties, it is a finding that is routine among schools of similar size to MACS through the state of Iowa.
Later in the meeting Newton reported that going forward the general fund numbers may look different each month due to a switch in how the district receives its funds.
“Our general fund will look like we’ve spent more than we received, but that is partly because they switched the way we receive money now,” Newton said while giving an example. “Instead of getting it monthly, we get it quarterly. So we’ll have a big influx of revenues one month and then we will have negative balances, probably, the next couple months.
In an update on buildings and grounds issues. The track is in the process of being resurfaced and there is seeding and overseeding taking place of ball fields, as well as in the area of the CTE portion of campus.
The board approved supplemental spending for special education, activity fund and English language.
The board approved a contract to purchase new stage risers and acoustic shell which will be paid for through a grant secured by band teacher Gio Walker.
The board approved a co-op with Bedford to allow girl wrestlers to compete as a part of the Mount Ayr Community Schools team. As of Monday’s meeting Bedford had yet to hold its monthly board meeting to approve of the co-op.