Funding issues, a construction update and an increase in the cost of school meals were among the many items on the agenda for the Greensburg community school board at its regular monthly meeting earlier this week.

The board began the night with a discussion of the financial report. Assistant superintendent Dr. Dennis Goldberg brought the issues of a lack of revenues and a negative cash balance to the attention of the board.

“It’s not going to get better,” he warned.

State statutes mandate that school corporations should receive a June tax distribution, as is usually the case. Unfortunately, there will likely not be a June settlement this year, and Goldberg believes that, if there is one this year, it may come as late as November or December. Transportation costs have skyrocketed, and without the tax settlement, Goldberg believes the school corporation may face trouble in the future.

“This cost will catch up to us,” he said, referencing the transportation costs.

Goldberg made sure to note that it was not an issue the school board created. The problem is a state-level issue.

“It’s a cash flow situation,” superintendent Tom Hunter explained.

He added that the school corporation was not getting the $5 million in June that it should. There was nothing the board members could do to remedy the situation, and moved on to other topics.

“Everything is on schedule,” Hunter said, in regards to the construction at the Greensburg junior high school.

According to the superintendent, the recreation area is actually ahead of schedule, and the project is within its budget. Hunter estimates that the project will be completed by the beginning of the fall term for the 2008-2009 school year.

“We’re getting a good bang for our buck,” he said.

The next topic before the school board came from Mary Ann Owens, the food service director. She had recommended increases in the cost of breakfast and lunch to maintain the quality of the food service in the school. The free and reduced breakfasts and lunches would not be affected by the change. Student breakfasts were changed from $.80 to $1.00, and lunch was increased from $1.75 to $1.85.

Hunter noted that the prices for meals at the school had not changed since 2002.

The school board also granted tenure to elementary school teachers Krista Harmon and Greg Scudder, as well as junior high teachers David Jackson and Sonja Linville. Hunter also sought to recognize elementary school teacher Jane Boldrick, who was retiring after 37 years, and teacher Sally Robbins, who was also retiring after 23 years of service.