Nettle Creek School Corporation is in good financial shape, according to financial reports for the 2024 year.
Every Indiana public school corporation must file a yearly financial report with the Indiana Department of Education.
For 2024, Nettle Creek reported that its fund balances equal 32.9% of anticipated expenses, nearly the same level as in the previous two years, according to information that Superintendent Emily Schaeffer shared with the school board on Jan. 8.
The fund balances enable the district to continue operating between tax distributions and other revenues.
The education fund balance was $2.13 million, half a million more than the previous year. The debt service fund balance totaled $371,464, the operations fund $473,281 and the rainy day fund $982,981.
Schaeffer said the preschool program started in 2022 appears to be becoming self-supporting.
The district used federal COVID relief funds (the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, called ESSER) to help start and expand the program. Last year, the second half-year of the program started with a fund balance of $101,000 and ended with $183,000.
In other business, the board elected 2025 officers: Shaun Lieberman, president; Sandi Schraub, vice president; and Julie Blaase, secretary. It welcomed Mike Banning and Ruthie LaMar as new members, replacing Dan Davis Jr. and David Moore. The board chose LaMar as president of the Board of Finance and Schraub as secretary. Board members are paid $2,000 a year.
The board acknowledged a $3,060 donation from the Hagerstown Jr.-Sr. High School baseball team. It will be used to buy food for the weekend backpack program, in which food for the weekend and school breaks is sent home with students who might need it.
It also acknowledged that Moore donated his yearly board stipend for an athletic department purchase.
The board approved personnel actions as follows:
- Certified staff: administrative leave, paid (no name listed); Abby Thornburgh, Hagerstown Elementary School sixth-grade teacher.
- Departures: Maria Tinkle, HES teacher; Shelly Black, HES instructional assistant.
The next board meeting starts at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 12, in the Hagerstown Elementary LGI room, 299 N. Sycamore St. The public may attend.
A version of this article appeared in the January 15 2025 print edition of the Western Wayne News.