School board to consider budget

CLOVIS — The Clovis Municipal Schools Board of Education will consider the 2019-20 budget, among other items, during its meeting Tuesday evening.

The budget for the upcoming year is $65.9 million, an increase of just over $7 million from the 2018-19 budget. The biggest increases come in the form of state-mandated 6% salary increases ($4.33 million), benefits ($1.02 million), staff for the new IAcademy ($778,497), educational retirement board costs ($531,176) and additional social workers.

The state is covering all but $178,000 of the total increases.

The board will also consider a pair of contracts for incoming Superintendent Rene Russ.

Russ’ salary will be $153,000 per year. Her contract also includes use of a school-owned vehicle and a cellular phone allowance of $1,000 annually.

Russ will also have a contract as interim superintendent, effective during June. For any days she acts as superintendent that month should current Superintendent Jody Balch be unavailable, she would receive an additional $235.39 per day in addition to the salary for her current position as deputy director of federal programs.