TORRINGTON – During a special meeting and annual budget hearing, the Goshen County School District adopted the 2024-2025 budget.

The meeting, held at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, July 17, opened with public comment during the public hearing on the proposed budget. With no public comment, the hearing was closed, and the regular special board meeting was called to order.

Present was the director of curriculum, instruction, and data management, Kevin Derby, business manager, Marcy Cates, superintendent, Ryan Kramer, board members, Michael Sussex, Chris Alexander, Dyaln Hager, Carlos Saucedo, and Wade Phipps. Absent were Justin Hurley, Mathew Cushman, and Sarah Chaires. Lean Moeller appeared via Zoom.

After reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, the board quickly moved on to adopting the agenda.

Cates announced to the board and public in attendance Ramona Moody, Goshen County Food Service Director, had been selected for a food service award. 

“It’s important to share when Ramona went to the State School Nutrition Association, she was selected by her peers in the state school nutrition department of education as the state food service director of the year,” Cates said. 

Cates explained Moody is a first-year food service director.

“She has worked for the department of agriculture, but not directly in school food service,” Cates explained. “She had an audit. It was a beautiful audit. We went through with flying colors, and they were very commending of the work she has done. Ramona just continues to shine as far as the district is concerned with the offerings we provide.”

The board approved the mill levy taxes for the 2024-2025 fiscal year as recommended and the board moved on the item d, where they considered adopting the 2024-2025 budget as present. 

“This budget year was very different than most,” Cates said. “When we talked about the preliminary budget, I had anticipated and hoped that we would see the insurance proceeds Because of the size of the claim, it went through reinsurers and stop loss and all sorts of stuff, and they tell me we are close to receiving the money, but we don’t have the money yet.”

The board listened to Cates explain information about free and reduced lunches and COVID-19 funds.

“I think we all knew during Covid that one of the benefits for families was our free meals program, the use and how that alleviated a lot of concern from families in order to pay their lunch premiums and we’ve known that a lot of time and energy in our community has spent with donations to try and help meet the needs of some of those outstanding balances we have had over the last two years. This is a way for us as a school district to really help a lot of our families that don’t fall into that area that they automatically qualify for free lunches, but we know we have a significant population in our community that doesn’t qualify for a lot of services because of their income level but they need assistance in some way shape or form,” Kramer explained to the board. 

Kramer reported the unpaid school lunch debt is about the same as years prior. 

Alexander expressed his disapproval of providing free and reduced-fee lunches.

“Everyone of us has seen what it’s like in your grocery store right now and I talk to people every day,” Sussex said. “Families are hurting right now just trying to make ends meet and groceries and food are one of the number one problems so if we could help some families get a better footing right now.”

After a brief discussion, the board approved the budget as presented. Phipps, Saucedo, Hager, Moeller, and Sussex voted for the budget while Alexander voted against the approval.

On to item e, the board considered the recommendation to approve maintaining adult and ala cart meal prices for the 2024-2025 school year, where a motion was made to accept the recommendation. The motion carried.

Next, the board moved on to item f on the agenda where the board considered the approval of student tuition for the 2024-2025 school year. Staff recommended approving the student tuition rate in the amount of $20,371. 

The board moved on to item g, where they considered the approval of offering certified employment contracts where there were no new contracts to review.

Next, the board moved on to item h, where they considered the approval of the Torrington Middle School 2024-2025 Student Handbook. Saucedo motioned to approve the handbook which was seconded, and the motion carried.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:49 p.m.