The Mount Pleasant Community School Board met yesterday evening for a packed schedule. One board member was absent. Starting things off was a Public Hearing for the FY25 Certified Budget, which was largely spearheaded by Ed Chabal.
Contrary to previous years, there must be two public hearings, so unless you were one of the few in attendance last night, you’ll have another chance to listen on April 8th.
Revealed during the public hearing, for FY25 the district is collecting over $260,000 less than the prior year. This is partly due to the fact that the district is currently in a good financial situation.
During the special session, the board discussed a contract with AFSCME, American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees. After a proposal was accepted by AFSCME on March 1st, changes for FY25 are coming for paras, custodians, and maintenance. Para-educators will see a $1 raise, as well as seeing the para-education stipend increase from $0.50 to $0.70. Custodians and maintenance will also see a $1 an hour raise thanks to a step increase.
The 2024/2025 calendar has seemingly caused headaches, as the board and superintendent have tried to concoct the best schedule. State law requires school districts to begin no earlier than August 23rd. As a result, the proposed first day of class will be a full day on Friday, August 23rd. According to Superintendent John Henriksen, “everything else generally looks the same.” Christmas break will end on a Thursday, with students coming back for a full day on Friday, January 3rd. This helps to make sure that the last day of school will be in May, which currently is set for Thursday, May 29th. A full week of Spring break is during the week of March 17th-21st.