Estimated budget increases announced

      At the budget work session Feb. 10, Superintendent William Johnson explained the reasons for the increase. Mandated costs including increases in the amount of money districts must contribute to the teachers- retirement system and the employee retirement system, and increases in health insurance costs and contractual obligations are driving the budget-to-budget increase.
      The figures that are in now are only estimates. They include a five percent increase expected in the teachers- retirement system and an estimated 2.5 percent increase for the employee retirement system. Health insurance costs are going up 17 percent. These increases contribute to the proposed $5 million budget-to-budget increase.
      South Side High School, South Side Middle School and the physical education department got to follow the increase announcements with the presentations of their budgets.
      The physical education budget, which includes health and athletic teams, went up 4.18 percent or $15,453. South Side Middle School went up 8.61 percent or $9,069 and South Side High School went up 0.41 percent or $1,788.
      Among the possible capital projects discussed were track repairs at the middle and high school costing $60,000. Athletic director Michael Heller said much of the damage done to the rubberized surface of the tracks is done not by students, but by people and outside groups who use roller blades, bicycles, skateboards and baby carriages on the tracks.
      Board of Education secretary Meg Koch was upset that the carelessness of these people would take money away from academic programs for the children of the district. The $60,000 costs more than a teacher. Dr. Johnson said that the attitude of outside groups towards school security who remind them of the rules, borders on harassment. He suggested the possibility of charging the groups for any damage that occurs while they are using school grounds.
      Middle school principal Shelagh McGinn, high school principal Carol Burris and Heller promised to go back to their staff and see if any cuts could be made to their proposed budgets. The next regular meeting of the Board of Education is on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 8:30 p.m. in room 112 of South Side High School.