VIENNA — The Maries R-1 Board of Education’s Sept. 24 meeting included a discussion about the district’s search for another activity bus.

Maries R-1 recently sold two buses that were used to transport students on trips outside the district. Online auctions for the buses brought the school $2,600 total. At a special meeting earlier in September, the board approved the purchase of a 2021 model 70-passenger bus with about 80,000 miles for $52,000. The district remained looking for a second activity bus.

At the Sept. 24 meeting, Superintendent Teresa Messersmith said she had been communicating with Copeland Bus Sales in St. James to find another bus. She outlined the three types of buses on the market.

A 36-passenger bus has six rows of seats and would comfortably seat 24 people. The district uses a bus of that size to transport preschool students. A 53-passenger bus has nine rows of seats and would comfortably seat 36 people. A 72-passenger bus has 12 rows and would comfortably seat 48 people.

Although 72-passenger buses are bigger, their pricing is comparable to 53-passenger buses because the smaller buses have advantages such as better fuel mileage and easier maneuverability. Both sizes are often in high demand.

Messersmith told the board that the 36-passenger bus was not a good option for the district after reviewing some of the student athletic and organizational rosters. She expected either of the larger sizes would work though she was not sure which would be available first.

The board recommended looking for both bus sizes to increase the chances of finding one.

Also at the meeting, the board approved the district’s annual budget message.

Messersmith read the first two pages of the 2024-25 Maries R-1 budget before the board voted to approve it. The full budget is available on the district’s website mariesr1.k12.mo.us by clicking the “Budget Package” link at the top of the page under the “Administration” tab.

The document’s first two pages include revenues from local, state and federal receipts; expenditures and balances.

The assessed valuation for the district is $69,771,880 New construction was $770,610, which made for a $206,670 net gain over the previous year’s assessed valuation. New construction decreased by $461,290 from the previous year’s valuation.

The general revenue tax rate is 3.3502. Debt service has a 0.44 rate. The district bases its budget on a 96 percent collection rate with the expectation that protested and delinquent taxes from the previous year will also provide income.

The district estimates funds from Proposition C to bring in about $646,051. The estimated State Adequacy Target is $6,760, which increased by $385 from the previous year. State Transportation funding is estimated at 75 percent, which at approximately $250,000 would be about the same as last year. Estimates will change throughout the year as more receipts become available from the state.

The base salary for the certified salary schedule increased by $1,500, which made the base salary $34,000. Teacher retirement remained the same at 14.5 percent. Certified staff received a $500 step. Twelve-month non-certified employees received a 4.5 percent raise.

The cost for bus routes will be a flat rate of $50,000 per route.

Tuition for the Rolla Technical Institute is $1,5000 per semester or $3,000 per year per student.

The budget also includes $5,500 for general instructional supplies for all grade levels.

The Unrestricted Fund I balance at the end of the 2023-24 school year was $2,219,984.62, which gave the district a 38.73 percent surplus. The total was an increase of $294,472.24 from the previous year’s ending balance.