Staff writer
Peabody-Burns school superintendent Ron Traxson expressed his concern with Kansas Senate Bill 505 at Monday’s school board meeting.
The bill would penalize districts that had over 15 percent of operational cash balances as of July 2014.
“What they’re gonna go in and do is if they take all of our funds, we would get hit for $223,000 a year for five years in the fact that they would not give us state aid in that amount,” Traxson said.
If the bill goes into effect, schools such as Peabody-Burns who have been saving money for projects would be penalized for it.
“The state gives money, but the state really shouldn’t take it away when you’re in the middle of a five-year plan of improvement (like Peabody-Burns) where, at the end of five years, this board expects certain things to be done,” Traxson said.
The “certain things” the board expects to be done, according to Traxson, include the parking lot, transportation, heating and air, and playground equipment.
“If I had to do over, I wish I was addressing some things a little quicker but I don’t think it would have mattered,” Traxson said.
Traxson said some people were even concerned with the fate of the school district.
“Some people think we’re gonna close our doors,” Traxson said. “We are not even close to closing our doors. We’re good, we’re solid. But that’s because we’re being very careful.”
After describing what the bill would include and how it would affect the school, Traxson said that they’re ready for whatever the outcome may be.
“I can’t say it enough that I’m a little angry with it,” Traxson said, “but at the same time if we have to deal with it, we will.”
In other business, after 27 years at Peabody-Burns, assistant middle/high school principal Ray Savage put in his resignation with the board of education.
Treasurer Liz Harder also put in her resignation, and will leave at the end of May.