Four more things to know from Monday’s school board meeting

1) The PCM school board approved a balanced $24.898 million budget Monday night for the 2018-19 school year in a 6-0 vote. The budget includes a lower tax levy rate than the 2017-18 school year at $15.9820 per $1,000 of taxable valuation.

Total expenditures for next year’s budget are expected to increase by $2.33 million, due in part to increases in student instructional costs and the ongoing facilities construction and renovation project. The board approved the budget following discussion at a special meeting March 5 and a public hearing earlier Monday night.

2) The board unanimously approved a $350,000 project to renovate and retrofit a section of the PCM bus garage and turn it into a new district administrative office building. The project would move the PCM superintendent office out of PCM High School and into its own space. The renovation would also create a new meeting room for the PCM school board, and a total of seven offices. Other district staff such as the technology director, food service director and building administrators would be able to use the building as a work and meeting space.

The building would also be used as a space for professional development training. The board approved a $38,000 architectural design contract with West Des Moines firm SVPA Architects in January. The work is being done in conjunction with the district’s $20 million facilities renovation project.

3) The PCM senior class trip for 2018 to Branson, Mo., was approved Monday in a 6-0 vote. The trip will be May 22-24 and cost $10,286. The money for the trip will come from the class of 2018 activity fund.

4) The school board approved the $12,033 purchase of a floor scrubber for Prairie City Elementary School, PCM Middle School and the new link.

Contact Mike Mendenhall at mmendenhall@myprairiecitynews.com