Hennessey Public Schools’ general fund for 2024-25 started July 1 with a $6.021 million budget compared with last year’s $6.551 million in general fund assets.

This year’s building fund started with $1.378 million compared with $1.418 million last year and was $651,886 in 2022 (when the school sold $1.215 million in building bonds).

There is $268,296 in the sinking fund compared with $45,725 last year.

The school sold $1.215 million in taxable building bonds in March.

Estimated Income

The district is estimated to get $2.39 million in gross production taxes this fiscal year and last year’s estimate was $2.42 million.

The estimated county four mill ad valorem tax is $546,900 for this school year compared with $489,300 last year; motor vehicle collections are estimated at $327,000 compared with the $331,000 estimate last year.

General operations state aid is expected to be $2.337 million compared with $2.298 million for last year; disadvantaged students is estimated at $493,538 this year compared with $569,838 last year.

This year’s budget (estimate of needs) is published in this week’s issue with other public legal notices.

The district’s auditors Angel, Johnston & Blasingame prepared the estimate of needs and categorical budgets.

Both were unanimously approved, along with seven other items, in a consent agenda at the board’s Sept. 9 meeting.

Six-Minute Meeting

All board members were present: President Patrick Griffin, Vice President James M. Matousek, Clerk Luke Lough and members Amy Charmasson and Dakota Semrad.

Also at the board table were Superintendent Jason Sternberger and Timberly Jech, office manager and board minutes clerk.

The KT&FP reporter was not at this month’s meeting, but was told it lasted only six minutes.

Resignation/Hirings

Sternberger told the board he’d accepted the resignation of Tyler Baxter, a bus driver.

The superintendent recommended and the board hired Michael Reeves as a paraprofessional and Mitzi Trillo as a daycare worker. Also, Emily Fernandez and Paola Escarcega were hired as translators at $9 an hour.

Sternberger also recommended, and the board approved, these changes to extra duty coaching assignments: Doug Boyd, 5/6th boys basketball, $750 and junior high assistant boys basketball, $1,000; Jeneva Nelson, assistant junior high fast-pitch and slow pitch softball, $500; Jacob Steward, assistant junior high fast-pitch and slow pitch softball, $500 and assistant boys and girls wrestling, $2,000.

Consent Items

In addition to the two budget items, these items were also approved in the board’s consent agenda:

• August board meeting minutes;

• Summaries of financial activities, activity fund and summary of accounts as of Aug. 31, 2024, purchase and change orders and corresponding warrants;

• $50 activity fund transfer from cross country to yearbook for senior banner printing;

• Employment of Stephen L. Smith Corp. as financial consultants to the school district for the fiscal year 2024-25;

• Surplus of 75 fourth grade textbooks; and

• A contract with Stacy Cline, LPC, through June 30, 2025, to provide counseling services at $75 an hour, or continuing education workshops and to review re-evaluations.