Richland School Board Members Heard the Latest Audit

Johnson Block & Company, Inc., Certified Public Accountants, presented the 2023-24 audit to the Richland School Board at Monday’s meeting. The scope of the audit included all funds and activities of the District. For the year ending June 30, 2024, the District expended $2,311,423 of federal funds. The fund balance as of June 30 was $ 5,761,088. The Fund balance is used by the District for working capital and cash flow purposes, and to limit the amount of borrowing the District would otherwise incur. The report also showed the breakdown of revenue sources. The most significant revenue from local sources was property taxes totaling $9,710,162. Property tax revenue is controlled by state revenue limits, and is apportioned to the general, debt service, and community service funds. The most significant revenue from state sources is equalization aid totaling $10,015,689. Approximately 38% of the District’s governmental fund revenues come from this source. The District has fully complied with state revenue limitation regulations with a levy of $ 9,710,162 for 2023-24. The equalized valuation of the District as certified by the Wisconsin Department of Revenue is $1,064,710,758. The total general obligation debt outstanding as of June 30 was $5,375,000. The debt capacity remaining is 95%.

In action at the meeting the board approved unanimously:

To accept the resignation of Jennifer Judd as an Intermediate teacher at the conclusion of the current school year.

The hiring of David Triphan for the 2025-26 school year as a math teacher.

The hiring of Elise Pflederer and Brianna Robson for the 2025-26 school year as cross-categorical teachers.

Revisions to Policy 5460, concerning graduation requirements, effective immediately, and retroactive to July 1, 2023. The “old” policy included language, which allowed seventh and eighth grade students to earn credit towards a high school diploma. Since the seventh and eighth graders were now part of the Richland Center High School, the practice had continued to be followed. However, the language was omitted when the new policies were adopted. Because there are students who took a high school class, taught by a certified high school teacher, in a core subject area of English, social studies, math, or science, the revision ensures students who took high school courses as seventh or eighth graders will receive the proper credit.

Business Manager, Jon Bosworth, also reported to the board that the district has benefited from the current market. Each year, as part of the transportation contract with Kobussen, the District is responsible for securing vehicle propane to fuel buses. This propane is pre-paid for the estimated usage in the school year being considered. The estimated usage will be 52,000 gallons. Premier Cooperative has given a quote of $1.399 a gallon for a total of $72,748. There is a State Tax of 226 cents a gallon for a total of $11,752. The total cost to the district will be $1.63 a gallon. This is a savings of around seventeen and a half cents a gallon. The district anticipates an autogas rebate credit of $18,972. The anticipated costs for 52,000 gallons of LP fuel for the 2025-26 school year is $65,528. The bad news is that the autogas rebate program is likely to end with the new US Administration’s changes to grant programs.

Also approved unanimously were: the distinguished staff criteria; revisions to the 2025-26 Employee Handbook; private school transportation; policy updates to the Neola subscription; and the donation of carnations to the Partner School from Added Touch Floral.

The Richland School Board also approved revisions to the 2025-26 Student Handbook on a 6 to 1 vote with Scott Behling, Erin Unbehaun, Neil Huntamer, Robin Dickman, Sheila Troxel, and Lee Van Landuyt voting in favor, and Brady Doudna voting against.