GLADSTONE — The Gladstone Area Schools Board of Education voted to adopt the district’s second budget amendment of the 2017-2018 fiscal year during its regular meeting Monday. This amendment lists a higher projected general fund balance for the end of the district’s fiscal year than was included in its previous budget amendment.

Before taking a vote on Budget Amendment Two, members of the board heard an overview of the amendment from Business Manager Mike Macfarlane. He said the district’s excess expenditures were down in comparison to Budget Amendment One, in which they were listed as $558,021.

“Now, with more of the year behind us, we believe it will be more like ($319,379),” Macfarlane said. He noted because the district makes a point of budgeting conservatively, it could end up doing better than this.

The district’s total revenues in Budget Amendment Two grew from the $13,398,343 listed in Budget Amendment One to $14,525,615 — an increase of $1,127,272. Macfarlane said this was largely the result of Michigan Public School Employees’ Retirement System (MPSERS) funding.

While the district received about a million dollars for retirement benefits through MPSERS, it is required to send essentially all of this funding back through its payroll.

“(It’s) in on the top and out on the bottom,” Macfarlane said.

Total expenditures for the district in the 2017-2018 fiscal year also increased in Budget Amendment Two because of this. In Budget Amendment One, expenditures were listed as $13,956,364; now, they have been adjusted to $14,844,994 (an increase of $888,630).

The district’s projected general fund balance for the end of the fiscal year increased in Budget Amendment Two, as well. In Budget Amendment One, this value was listed as $297,372; now, it has grown by $238,642 to $536,014.

According to Macfarlane, the recent discontinuation of Gladstone’s early college program will not have an impact on the district’s 2017-2018 budget. Some effects will be seen as a result of this in the 2018-2019 fiscal year.

“It’s next year when you’re (going to) see that,” he said. However, some state funding will still flow through Gladstone for students who had planned to participate in the district’s early college program, but who will participate in the Delta-Schoolcraft Intermediate School District (DSISD)’s early college program instead. According to Board Trustee Steve O’Driscoll, career tracks represented in the DSISD’s program will be expanded over the next few years, and Gladstone students participating in this program will be able to graduate as Gladstone Braves.

In other business, the board:

– voted to hire Sherry Macfarlane as a food service aide and Kelly Karl as a junior high boys’ track coach.

– accepted letters rescinding intent to retire in 2018 and letters of intent to retire in 2019 from Lauri Miller, Karla Beauchamp, Dale Jones, Patti Nyberg, and Kim Alworden.

– accepted a letter rescinding intent to retire in 2018 and a letter of intent to retire on May 31, 2019 from Debra Hughes.

– accepted letters of intent to retire in 2019 from Lori Tourangeau and Laurene Clark.

– accepted a letter of intent to retire on Jan. 19, 2019 from Peggy Austin.

– accepted a letter of intent to retire on Oct. 1, 2019 from Debbie Holm.