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Saturday, September 19, 2015
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A tough year ahead Hall High School looks at new budget By Becky Kramer news@bcrnews.com
SPRING VALLEY — A budget hearing was held Wednesday, Sept. 16, before the regularly scheduled meeting of the Hall High School Board. There was no public comment. The board then approved the budget for the 2015-16 school year. Hall Superintendent Mike Struna said, “It’s going to be a tough year for us with no retirements and less tax money.” The good news, according to Struna, is the budget which currently shows a deficit of $300,000 in the education fund is a worst case scenario, since the state budget
hasn’t been passed. It’s possible Hall will receive additional state funding which will help to cut the deficit. Kim Bird of Hopkins and Associates provided the board with its audit of the 2014-15 school year. Bird said one of the highlights of the previous year is that there was a $180,000 decrease in spending from the prior year, even though there was an overall deficit. The audit shows there was an overall operating loss of approximately $300,000 which places Hall High School on the state’s Financial Warning List. This is the same level as the previous year. Hall Principal Jesse Brandt provided the board with the current enrollment report. There are currently 100 seniors, 85 juniors, 93 sophomores and 123 freshmen
registered — a total of 401 students. This is up from 383 students last year. Brandt also indicated both the School Improvement Committee and RTI Committee are already meeting and making decisions. The RTI Committee is monitoring all students by grade level to make sure each student is getting the help they need to be successful. Juniors and seniors who had all As and Bs last year are being rewarded by being allowed to leave school early. Brandt also indicated Angie Carpenter is implementing an online planner for freshmen students. Struna also updated the board on current enrollments in the vocational program, fine arts program and the foreign language program. He said numbers in the voca-
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Building from the ground up BV FFA rolls up their sleeves ... By Goldie Rapp grapp@bcrnews.com
MANLIUS — The Bureau Valley FFA recently embarked on one of its biggest projects yet — constructing a tractor restoration and agricultural education building. BV FAA instructor Willard Mott said he got the idea for the project about five years ago. “It was just always a big question mark as to how it would get done because labor is so expensive,” he said. Mott credits Dennis Thompson, former superintendent of Bureau Valley, who took a huge lead on the project. “He was really the confidence boost that said, ‘We can do this; we can get it done,’” he said. Funding for the project was an issue, until BV FFA received a $5,000 grant from Pioneer Hi-Bred International. That’s when plans really took off. The organization was able to use the monies to apply for a $10,000 matching grant from Alliance Pipeline. BV FFA also received $5,000 donations from Crop Production Services and Informed Farmers Coalition and a $10,000 Improving Agriculture Education Program Grant. Aside from the grant and donations, BV FFA continued to receive monetary donations from area community members, and many came forward and offered to donate time and equipment for the construction of the building. The organization has a list of 34 community members and area businesses who donated time and
SPRING VALLEY — The visions of a spiritually-famished individual are filled with a slice of the bread of life, while the reveries of a physically famished individual are comprised of breadcrumbs atop a cheesy broccoli casserole. At the Parish of the Nativity of our Lord on Thursday, Sept. 17, both individuals would
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Year 169 No. 112 Two Sections - 24 Pages
© Bureau County Republican
BCR photos/Eric Engel
Taking a ride ... for a child’s lifetime Participants of the St. Jude Rides fundraiser take a moment outside of Ye Olde Underground Inn in Princeton Thursday, Sept. 17, to pray for safe travels before hitting the road for the St. Jude Children’s Hospital in Memphis. Princeton riders raised $92,000 this year for the young St. Jude patients.
Dishing out the daily bread Parish of the Nativity of our Lord hosts annual luncheon By Eric Engel eengel@bcrnews.com
An attendee of the luncheon at the Parish of the Nativity of our Lord Catholic Church in Spring Valley helps herself to the delicious homemade dishes served up Thursday, Sept. 17. The Parish has hosted the luncheon for more than 15 years, bringing together seniors as well as other members of the community and beyond for fellowship and a tasty meal.
BCR photo/Eric Engel