By Jeff Vorva
The Beecher 200-U School District tentative budget is $1.5 million in the black, according to Superintendent Jack Gaham. Even though the district has gone through a financial crisis in recent years, don’t expect him to turn cartwheels just yet. A sort of a smile will have to do.
“I can tentatively, quasi, half-way smile about it,” Gaham said at the August 14 board meeting.
The board approved to post the tentative budget for the 2025 fiscal year and, after years of creative cuts fighting hard to a referendum passage in its second try and figuring out how to be more financially responsible, the district’s financial picture is improved considerably.
“That does not mean I want to spend money,” Gaham said. “I’m just telling you all of the hard work we’ve done for the last four or five years is coming true.”
The board will hammer out final details September 11 in a finance meeting held before the regular board meeting and a public hearing will take place on September 24.
Everyone is back
Beecher High School Principal Mike Meyer was happy to see everyone from last year is back to teach this year.
“This is the first time in a long time when I didn’t have to hire anybody,” Meyer said. “I truly thank our staff for choosing to come back. There are other places out there, and they may be greener somewhere else. But I truly appreciate our culture, and I hope we will continue to do well and the consistency of that will help us.”
Comings and goings
The board approved the employment of Jesse Hagel as the junior high girls cross country coach, Amy Kvasnicka as an elementary school aide, Jill Nelson as an elementary school aide, Nicholas Joyce as the district mechanic, and Angelina Franklin as the bus monitor.
The board also acknowledged the resignations of Carrie Seniw as a school bus driver, Brittany Hourigan as an elementary school aide, Jillian Lauch as the junior high head track coach, and Rachel Felts as the bus monitor.