Dale Larkin is congratulated by District 429 Board President, StacyShrewsbury as he steps down after 10 years on the District 429 School Board – Photo by WJEZ staff 

Todd Wineburner/WJEZ News

PONTIAC — State cuts to General State Aid will cost Pontiac’s District 429 just over 100-thousand dollars this school year. Co-Superintendent Dale Adams said after Thursday’s school board meeting that the district will be losing about 95-thousand dollars in the education fund, and nearly 11-thousand in transportation funds. Adams says that economic blow isn’t welcome, but it can be absorbed by the current budget. “We did have a surplus,” Adams explained, “so even with that 95,000 taken away, we’ll still end the year…at about…18,000 dollars to the positive side.”

In other business, the board adopted a plan that will put funding for music programs in the district back into the school’s budget. The board approved a 3-year plan that will take pressure off of outside funding efforts conducted by the Bandsavers. Adams says the plan phases in the changes, so the district can absorb the costs gradually. “We started with the premise that if the district could pay for the entire salary of the teacher,” Adam said, “then the booster would pay for the rest of the budget items.”  That’s how the first year of the agreement takes shape, with the district taking over all costs at the end of three years.

The board also discussed the possibility of providing busing for students in-house rather than using an outside contractor. Central Illinois Bus Company is expected to have a proposal for the district later this week.

In the wake of the recent consolidated elections, a new board is also in place. Board member Dale Larkin did not seek re-election, so his 10 years with the board came to an end with the seating of the new board. All board officers were retained, so Stacey Shrewsbury remains the board president, Dan Krueger will serve as Vice-President, with Vanessa Helms as Secretary and Adeana Fox in the treasurer’s position.

With Larkin’s departure, the district has a two-year term to fill. Anyone 18 years of age who resides in the district can contact the Superintendent’s office at District 429 with a letter of interest and a short resume.  The district hopes to have a new board member seated at the next school board meeting.