WUESD in good $ shape

The Wasco Union Elementary School District is in good financial shape, its chief business officer reported to the board Tuesday night.

Chief Business Officer of the Wasco Union Elementary School District Karen Evens advised the board that the district is in good shape financially. "We are in good financial standing now and for the next couple of years," she said.

"The biggest source of revenue is the local Control Funding Formula," Evans said. "The biggest expense is salary and benefits for employees, which takes up 80 percent of the budget."

Additionally, Evans added that the district is required to have reserves for economic uncertainty. "Our board policy states we will have 17 percent of the budget. Those dollars are set aside from unspent funds -- $7,751,111," she said. "We also have additional funds of $3.3 million set aside for construction projects."

She also said that the report is so the board and the public are updated on the fiscal health of the district. The state requires two Interim Budget Reports each year; one in December and one in March.

Superintendent Kelly Richers advised he had just received a list of the Kern County schools that are not financially viable "And we're not on it."

In other business, the board unanimously approved a solar power purchase for all the schools. "The first schools to become solar will be Palm Avenue and James Forrest because they need to be completed the soonest," he said. "The other school sites will be converted to solar as soon as we can."

Assistant Superintendent Brad Mayberry reported on the recent teacher job fair and said that the district has hired new teachers for the 2019-2020 year: Pedro Cardoza for sixth grade at Thomas Jefferson, Cassie Esnoz for first grade at Karl F. Clemens, Bethany Lopez for English at Thomas Jefferson, J. Albert Melero for sixth grade at TJ and Alicia Picos for first grade at Teresa Burke.