by Thaddeus Flint
An audit of the finances of the Berlin Central School District has found the District to have no material weaknesses, it was reported at the October 20 Board meeting.
[private]According to CPA Alan Walther of the Bonadio Group, the District received the rating of “unmodified” for each audited section of the finances. This is “the highest level of assurance,” explained Walther, who added that overall the District’s results were “very favorable.”
The only area that could use work, at least in the eyes of the State of New York, would be the District’s unreserved fund balance which was at 4.8% for 2016. The State Education Department Real Property Tax Law limits the amount of unexpended surplus funds to no more than 4% of the next year’s budgetary appropriations. While saving more for unexpected unknowns might seem prudent to most, New York State doesn’t seem to think that the unknown will be all that expensive.
The New York State School Boards Association has summed up the problem as follows: “Indisputably, maintaining reserve funds is part of sound financial management, but school districts find criticism no matter how they handle them. To starve them is to gamble, to fund them modestly can violate accounting standards and risk lower bond ratings, and to fund them to the accounting profession’s specifications would break state law and bring accusations of hoarding from politicians and special interest groups.
At any rate, neither Walther nor the Board seemed all that worried about the .8% overage.
Walther also noted that the District’s retirement plans are also in good shape. “Both the pension plans the School District participates in are very well funded,” he said.
A vote on accepting the audit report passed with all in favor.
Indoor Track Team
The High School/Middle School will soon have a new sports team, but you won’t be able to cheer them on without a bit of travel.
Track Coach Jennifer Burhans was successful in convincing the Board that the addition of an indoor track team would be a benefit to the District even though the District does not have the facilities itself to hold indoor track meet events.
According to Burhans, the new team could be entirely funded from the monies allocated for a JV soccer program which did not happen. The team would not take athletes from current programs, but instead would open up a new sport in the winter months for kids not already in a winter activity. The indoor track team would be a member of the Wasaren League which includes Cambridge, Granville, Greenwich, Hoosic Valley, Hoosick Falls, Mechanicville, Stillwater, and Tamarac High Schools. Burhans said she expects between 15 to 20 students would sign up for the team. After-school training would utilize the weight room and perhaps classrooms, but actual track event training would take place in the evenings at local colleges. Meets are expected to begin this December.
The new team was voted on and accepted with all in favor.
Building Condition Survey
According to the District’s Superintendent of Buildings and Grounds, Cyril Grant, design firm C.S. Arch will be at the November 17 Board meeting with a presentation on the Five Year Building Condition Survey as well as their findings and thoughts on Phase 3 of the capital project. Other topics could include air conditioning for the High School/Middle School, roof repairs at Berlin Elementary School, and lighting of the playing field at the High School/Middle School.
High School Principal Dr. Cathy Allain reminded the Board and any veterans in the District, that the annual Veteran’s Day assembly will be held on November 10 from 8 to 10 am at the High School/Middle School. Rensselaer County Executive Kathleen Jimino will be attending and a breakfast will be served by Middle School students.
The night began with Middle School students thanking the Board for their years of service. Combined, including the years of Board Clerk Mary Grant, and District Superintendent Dr. Stephen Young, the Board has over 86 years of dedication to the District. Of that, Board President Frank Zwack alone has provided an astounding 31 years of un-paid Board service, begun in an era before personal cell phones, usable internet, or even the building that everyone was then sitting in existed.[/private]