Glasgow Independent Schools Superintendent Chad Muhlenkamp, right, tells members of the board of education that the federal government is withholding just under $500,000 from the school district during their July meeting on Monday. Will Perkins/Glasgow News 1
By WILL PERKINS
Glasgow News 1
The federal government is withholding nearly half-a-million dollars in funding from Glasgow Independent Schools.
Superintendent Chad Muhlenkamp told board of education members during their monthly meeting Monday night that the frozen federal funding amounts to just under $500,000 for the school district.
“With assurances we approved last month with federal programs, we still have to provide all the services,” Muhlenkamp said, adding that the federal government is “just holding the money from us to deprive those services.”
While they hope the funding will eventually become available, Muhlenkamp said he and Finance Officer Sandy Moore discussed this situation and decided that the district could use its contingency fund to cover the frozen funds.
“Most of it is in salaries,” Muhlenkamp said of the federal funding being withheld. “So we can’t really go in and take someone’s contract.
“We can’t reduce someone’s salary or anything or change it.”
Muhlenkamp said he received an email from the Kentucky Department of Education just before Monday’s meeting, stating that they encourage the state of Kentucky to join a multi-state lawsuit to unfreeze the funding that had already been approved.
“We’ll see what happens,” Muhlenkamp said. “But we feel like we should continue moving forward with the money that we have in our contingency.
“We can cover it for this year, and then we’ll assess as the year goes on, how we need to handle it — and hope that the money gets freed and get reimbursed as a district for that money.”
“We’ve been able to build up the contingency and have that,” he said. “So we’ve got it to where we can cover this.”
Board member Barret Lessenberry said Muhlenkamp did a good job trimming expenses when he became superintendent, and that the school district may need to look into ways it can save money in the future.
In other business, the board approved additional methods of communication to be used by district staff members and volunteers. This change is in adherence to Senate Bill 181, a new Kentucky law that restricts communication between school staff, volunteers and students. The board previously approved other forms of communication to be used by the district during a special-called meeting toward the end of last month.
The additions during Monday’s meeting include communication systems used by area colleges and universities that needed to be added since some Glasgow students take college courses while still in high school.
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