Key changes in budgets that parents will need to look out for
The Pocatello/Chubbuck School District 25 met Tuesday to go over budget changes for the upcoming school year, and there are a few things parents will want to be aware of.
If you look across the football field at Franklin Middle School, there is a piece of land Idaho State University currently owns. However, the school district is working to buy the land from the university in case it needs a new elementary school.
While the school district isn’t planning on a new elementary school right now, it is trying to get a step ahead in case a new school is needed.
“We are planning to purchase property so that, in the future,” said Superintendent Mary Vagner, “when we need property for a new elementary school we have it.”
Vagner said the plot of land currently closed Bonneville Elementary School sits on is not going to work in the future. She said overall the budget is healthy for the upcoming school year and they haven’t had to make any cutbacks. But they still can’t afford to get the textbooks and other classroom materials that have been needed for many years.
“We have instructional support needs that are dramatic,” Vagner said, “but we don’t have the resources to meet those needs at this time.”
One presentation was from Special Services, in charge of special education and school psychologists. The way results of the students are measured will be changing with two required new programs.
Another major part of the budget talks was a price increase on the school breakfast and lunch that will be effective in the fall.
“There’s a formula the U.S. government puts school lunch and breakfast programs through,” Vagner said. “We have to increase our fees to meet the formula requirements.”
Vagner said the amount of the increase will not be decided until May. Along with that increase in food prices, there may also be a decrease in the kinds of food students can eat at schools.
“Our nutritional dictates are already controlled by the federal government,” Vagner said, “but things such as cookies may no longer be available because they have too much sugar content.”
The limit on foods high in sugar will also effect any fundraisers that students and clubs do. Students won’t be able to sell things like doughnuts for the fundraisers anymore.
