The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) included three area schools on its recently published list of 2015 Finance Award recipients. Birch Grove Community School (BGCS), Great Expectations School (GES), and Oshki Ogimaag Charter School (OOCS) each received the award based on their 2014 financial performance and reporting.
The Finance Award is awarded annually by MDE’s School Finance Division to recognize schools that meet specific financial and reporting criteria, including timely submission of financial data, compliance with Minnesota statutes, maintenance of appropriate fund balances, and accurate financial reporting. MDE reviewed finances for all schools, and just over 70% of districts statewide received the award.
“We’ve received the award for several years now, and it still feels good.” said BGCS Director Diane Blanchette, adding “We have a responsibility to account for how we use taxpayer funds, and we live up to it.”
GES Director Peter James agreed. “School Finance has lots of idiosyncrasies and important details built in. Our Business Manager Amy Henrikson works hard to make it look easy, and our finance committee and school board are watching it closely every month.”
OOCS Director Anna Deschampe also stressed the role of the charter school’s authorizer. “Our finances are one of the areas they focus on to ensure we’re on track. There’s always another set of eyes watching.”
“Given our tight financial situation,” James added, “not only do we have to account for every dollar, we have to make every dollar count.”
That focus from charter school authorizers may account at least in part for the higher rate of recognition of charter schools statewide, with 83 percent of charter schools and 64 percent of traditional districts across Minnesota receiving the award.
Beth Schwarz, superintendent of School District 166 agreed that school financing is complex. She said, “The primary reason is that Cook County School District has not received the finance award for the past four years is because the Community Education fund balance is in the red. We have been working hard to move this fund into the black and we are getting close!”
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