Members of the Tyler County Board of Education met Monday night for their regularly scheduled meeting.

Minutes of the previous meeting were approved, as well as the 2012-2013 school year calendar. The upcoming school year’s start date is August 13 for students. Teachers report back to school on August 8. The only significant change in the schedule takes place during spring break. Spring break 2013 will begin on Good Friday and continue through the following week.

It was announced at the meeting that 19 Tyler County students will attend the National TSA competition in Nashville. Three groups from Tyler County will also participate in the State Social Studies Fair in Charleston.

Tommy and Nicole Phillips and Shannon Huffman appeared in front of the board to discuss the possibility of joining the LKC Youth Football League and using the school facilities for home games.

“We want to involve kids from Paden City, Sistersville, and Middlebourne,” said Tommy Phillips. “We plan to have a rotating practice schedule, due to the high gas prices. The practices will be held in various locations so more kids can have access.” The Youth Football League wants to set schedules in the next month.

“We are asking you consider letting us use the football field for game days only, probably three or four times,” said Phillips. “That’s the main thing we need, is just a place to play our home games.”

“The school wouldn’t have any responsibility,” Phillips added. “The conference carries its own insurance.”

“I think it’s a golden opportunity to get little Knights involved in football on a county-wide basis,” commented Shannon Huffman.

“We’ll need to check on the details,” said board President Linda Hoover. “We will take the request under advisement and talk to staff and coaches. Thank you for coming in.”

Jeff Davis, Financial Manager and Treasurer of Tyler County Schools, presented the board with a preliminary budget plan for fiscal year 2012-2013 at the meeting.

Davis noted that in 1882 the total school budget in Tyler County was a little over $20,000. In contrast, in 2011 Tyler County schools spent $15,330 in total on each child’s educational needs.

Davis told the board state funding had decreased for the upcoming fiscal year, mostly due to enrollment. Tyler County currently has 1,407 students enrolled.

Fund 11 budget projections are in the amount of 15,717,327, of which about 65 per cent comes from state funds. Local revenue accounts for $4,602,872 of the total, and a carryover of $815,361 makes up the remainder of funds.

Fund 11 majority of spending goes to salaries and costs for the Tyler County school system; utilities, clearing accounts and other funds make up around 20 per cent of the expenditures under this fund.

Medicaid is budgeted for the 2012-2013 fiscal year in a separate fund, explained Davis. This change was recommended by the Department of Education.

Other requested items in the budget included a change in the daily rate of after school supervisor’s pay to $18 per hour, in order to align all after school and out of school professional positions to the same pay rate, and a consideration for dental and optical benefit increase to employees.

In the preliminary budget, both Sistersville Public Library and Middlebourne Public Library will receive funding, as well as the WVU Extension office and the Public Resource Officer position.

Also in the budget are Fund 61, a special revenue fund, which covers all federal and state grant projects; Step 7, which is used for the improvement of instructional programs, and staff development costs; school bus replacement; faculty senate; and curriculum trips.

Special Education, Title I, Title II, child nutrition and other budget items were also covered in Davis’s presentation. The preliminary budget is currently under consideration of board members for approval.

In other matters, a trip was approved for the Quiz Bowl Team to compete in Paden City on April 12, with bus for transportation.

Under employments or transfers, Joe Kester, Sr., is transferred from half-timer custodian III at AIB and half time custodian III at TCHS/TCMS to custodian III at TCHS/TCMS effective April 10; Warren Grace, Mentor Principal, countywide, effective April 10; and Shawna Hamilton, Kindergarten Teacher, SES, effective July 1, 2012.

The next regular meeting of the board will be Tuesday, April 18, at 7 p.m. at the board office. All members of the board were present at Monday’s meeting, including President Linda Hoover, Ralph “Doc” Boone, Jimmy Wyatt, Ken Hunt, Larry Thomas, and Superintendent of Schools Robin Dacquilante.