Faced with uncertainty over state funding levels for the next fiscal year and beyond, the Sedalia 200 Board of Education put on hold a planned expansion of Smith-Cotton High School, and voted Monday, Mar. 30 to keep the salary schedule for next school year the same.

The votes took place after Supt. Dr Todd Fraley provided a budget update, where he acknowledged to board member that he had to be the, “bearer of bad news.”
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Fraley noted that with the state unable to fully fund their foundation formula, the district was looking at a deficit of one-point-one million dollars for the next school year. That’s prompted the school board to hit pause on a proposed addition to the fine arts and athletics wings of Smith-Cotton High School, which would have seen the district issue $15 million in lease certificates to fund the project. Fraley says even as schools continue to deal with rising costs, more tax changes sought by lawmakers could impact Sedalia’s funding.

One of those cost increases is health insurance, which led to the board voting to not build a raise into the base salary schedule next year.

However, the board did vote Monday night to bring the pay schedule for extra duties at Smith-Cotton Junior High in line with those at the high school. The board also approved an additional contract with Timekey Glazing for abating lead and asbestos that may need to be removed as part of the project to replace windows at the junior high as well as Horace Mann Elementary.