The Fountain Hill Unified School District Governing Board held an open meeting last Wednesday night, Oct. 16, where members listened to the Annual Financial Report and approved three field trips.

The FHUSD Governing Board’s next meeting will be on Wednesday, Nov. 13, at the District Learning Center beginning at 6:30 p.m.

Financial reports

FHUSD Superintendent, Dr. Robert Allen, gave two PowerPoint presentations; one on the 2018-19 budget and the other on maintenance and operations and capital overrides and bonds.

Allen started with the overrides PowerPoint covering the use of the 2017, 15 percent M&O override; the $8 million dollar capital bond from 2013, followed with two $4 million dollar bonds in 2014 and 2015 and, finally, the 10 percent capital overlay override from 2017.

The district is required to give an annual update on the uses of these override monies and, along with showing how override funds help programs like full-day kindergarten, Allen also expressed gratitude to the public who voted for the overrides.

“We are always very grateful for the town’s contribution for additional funds,” Allen said. “It really allows us to enhance, expand and augment the variety of programs and services we can offer kids.”

Additional details will be reported in the Oct. 30 edition of The Times.

Next up was the 2018-19 annual financial report, which is required by the auditor general and checks to make sure the district stayed within its budget for the previous year.

While the report doesn’t show anything new to Allen, he said it is a nice overview of the complex beast that is a school district budget.

“It is a nice total picture,” Allen said. “During the course of the year I am consumed with managing the M&O budget and also anticipating the next year. So it’s a refreshing, total picture.”

Allen said he also gathered from the 2018-19 financial report that the district is in a good position to meet Governor Ducey’s promise of a 20 percent raise for teachers by 2020.

Action items

After hearing Dr. Allen’s presentation the board moved on to action items, approving three field trips.

The first trip was for the high school band to Northern Arizona University Band Day on Oct. 19. The final two were for middle school students to travel to Catalina Island and to Astro camp.

The board finished by approving a high school AP environmental science textbook.