Ripley Central School District should be “in great shape” regarding its budget for the 2024-25 school year, Board of Education members learned at their meeting last month.

Ripley Superintendent William Caldwell told the board that, at this point, the district is expecting $60,000 less in state aid for the coming year. However, this figure is not concrete because the state budget is not finalized, he said.

Caldwell said he recently met with department heads to get their input regarding the 2024-25 district budget. Even though the budget is in its preliminary stage, Caldwell said he is optimistic. “I don’t foresee any big surprises,” he said. “I think we will be in great shape. My goal is to get close to a 0% tax increase.”

Caldwell also informed board members that the Electric School Bus Energy Profile for Ripley has been completed. He passed out copies to board members and asked them to review the information for the March meeting.

Caldwell said the district will begin addressing what is required to transfer to an all-electric bus fleet. However, he feels the district will be able to handle the transition. “We are on the right track,” he said. “We are headed in the right direction.”

In other business, Ripley Principal Micah Oldham said that the school’s participation in the Capture Kids’ Hearts program has been a success so far. “The staff and I reviewed the district’s CKH data,” he said. “There was much to celebrate, especially in year one of implementation. We are in contention for a Rising Star Award and working toward being a CKH Showcase School.”

Capturing Kids Hearts, founded by Flip Flippen, is designed to have all school personnel interact with each student every day.

When the district adopted the program in September, Caldwell said that the goal of the program was to increase the trust children have in school personnel and to build strong relationships with the kids, so they will be more eager to learn. “It’s all about creating & building relationships with students and colleagues,” he said.

In order to become a National Showcase School, Ripley would be required to “demonstrate a high level of performance and a positive culture and climate for learning across all criteria set forth by the CKH program,” Oldham said. “The selection process includes measuring key performance indicators, gathering campus data and surveying staff and students.”

Oldham noted the character trait for February is Kindness. “Students and Staff have really taken this to heart and have been proactive with spreading kindness,” he said.

Oldham also told board members about upcoming events. The district has a PTO Family Fun Night scheduled for Feb. 29, he said. Students will be dressing up as their favorite literary characters, he added.

Oldham informed the board that Read Across America will be celebrated on March 1 in the school. He encouraged anyone who wished to be a guest reader to contact the district office.

On March 27 at 6 p.m., students will present “The Lion King Jr.” Oldham said. Students have been very busy in preparing for this production, he said.

In matters of personnel, the board approved a motion to move Kelly Swanson from the position of cleaner/cafeteria monitor to the position of working supervisor. “She will work mainly with the nighttime cleaners,” Caldwell said. “She’s done a good job for us.”

The board also approved the move of Rashannda Harris from the position of bus driver to groundskeeper. Caldwell expressed confidence that she will “make sure that the grounds are beautiful, and that’s the first thing anyone sees when they come to Ripley School.”