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Earle School District slowly gaining stability

State-appointed superintendent set to exit at end of school year By Mark Randall

news@theeveningtimes.com Earle School District is continuing to struggle with its cash flow but is making progress on improving its finances.

Curriculum Coordinator Linda Maples told the City Council that the school district has about $300,000 in general funds, but hopes to end the year with a $350,000 balance.

“Right now we’re running out the end of the month with about $300,000,” Maples said. “That’s not the best. So we are still working on that.”

Maples said the goal is to improve the ending balance by $100,000 on each of the next two years.

The district is aiming to have $450,000 in 2020 and to put flashing lights on $550,000 in 2021.

Maples announced that the school district was successful in partnering with the city to get a grant the highway in front of the high school, and also got $20,000 to repair the side-

See EARLE SCHOOL on Page 3

“Right now we ’re running out the end of the month… That’s not the best. So we are still working on that. ”

— Earle School District Curriculum Coordinator Linda Maples EARLE SCHOOL—————

Continued from Page 1

walk in front of the gym at the elementary school.

“We say ‘yay’ to you all and thank you for your help on this,” Maples said.

Maples said construction on the new elementary school is also progressing well despite the recent rains.

Construction got underway on the $7 million, 40,000 square foot school in June. The new K-6 facility will be completed by the 2019-2020 school year.

Voters approved a 10 mil increase to fund the project. The old building was built in the 1950s. The new one will house students under one roof and eliminate several outbuildings.

Maples also reported that Superintendent Dr. Richard Wilde will be leaving at the end of the year.

Wilde was appointed superintendent when the state took over Earle schools in Nov. 2017 after it was discovered that the district spent $1 million in federal Title 1 and school lunch funds on unallowable expenses in 2015-16.

An audit also turned up numerous financial inconsistencies showing the district was $150,000 in debt.

The district was required to pay back $300,000 of the Title 1 funds which it had to borrow from the state.

The district has been paying back $10,000 a month on the loan.

Wilde has been taking steps to get the financially distressed school district back on solid ground.

Maples said the state has appointed Tish Knowles to succeed Wilde. Knowles had been the Teacher Center Coordinator at Crowley’s Ridge Educational Service Cooperative.

“She came on board and is with us already,” Maples said. “So he’s going to help acclimate her to our processes and procedures.”