At the November 13 meeting, with School District 166’s excess levy expiring in the fall of 2015, Superintendent Beth Schwarz presented a financial forecast based on the fiscal year 2014 audit. Schwarz reported that based on projections, the school district will have a fund balance of $37,875 for 2015. This, said Schwarz, “is obviously very concerning.”
“Our budget is headed in a downward fashion,” said Schwarz.
School districts generally attempt to have 20 or more days in funding set aside in case something unforeseen happens. Schwarz uses the Arrowhead Regional Consortium formula to come up with a daily fund balance, and that comes to $29,451 per day.
Schwarz said while the shortfall is alarming, she noted that all of the money spent to date, “has been on the kids. It’s very critical to recognize that.”
She cited spending to keep K-3 class sizes small; the electives offered to high school students, the effort to keep junior high math and English class sizes small, and spending to “meet the needs of our students” in industrial education.
“There’s more,” she said, but added that it was imperative for the district to remain on a tight budget and watch where every dollar was spent going forward.
After the meeting, School Board Chair Jeanne Anderson said the school finance team would be meeting monthly and the budget would be taken out of the consent agenda at school board meetings so a thorough discussion could be held if needed about the school’s finances.
The meeting continued with the fall annual report. Schwarz went over the World’s Best Work Force plan, which can be found on the school’s web site. Several volunteers, employees and school board members worked together to identify the district’s top priorities for the next three years. She said it will be important to keep these priorities for the next three years, adding that it will also be important to show voters where, “our funding is going if the school district goes out on another levy. We can tell the voters where the money is going to be spent.”
Schwarz also shared the district’s achievement goals, and noted the document was, “not a one year guide,” but was meant to use over the next three years.
Superintendent Schwarz provided
some ISD 166 statistics
. 455 students
. 43 percent of students get free or reduced lunch
. 75 percent of the students are white
. 20 percent Native American
. 5 percent other races
. 13-to-1 teacher/student ratio
. 50 percent of the staff has master’s degrees
In other school board news
. The school board approved the First Reading of Policy and Procedures related to Indian students residing on Indian Lands.
The policy, which is required to be in compliance with federal law in order for the district to qualify for impact aid, was revised based on consultation with Dr. Charles Henderson who is a program analyst for the impact program. It was also sent to parents of Native American students and Haley Brickner and the Grand Portage Tribal Council for review. It will be brought forward for a second review at the board’s December 18 meeting.
. In October, the school board approved several personnel issues including the maternity leave requests by district office assistant Cara Price and math teacher Melissa Steele. Pam Puskala will replace Price during her absence. Contracts were accepted for staff members Kelly Roberts and Rachel Liechty. Rob Hackett was hired as the bus driver for the new Grand Portage route. Also approved was the resignation of food service department member Diane Koeneke.
. Jill Erickson was hired as the long-term substitute for middle school math at a rate of $36,547 per year, which will be prorated, based on the number of days Erickson fills the position. She received a community expert variance so she could fill the position vacated by a teacher on maternity leave.
. Jesse Baldwin was hired to fill a special education instructor position recently vacated by a teacher who quit before completing the year. Baldwin will be paid at a prorated salary of $36,547 based on the amount of days he works. Because he too is on a variance the position will be opened and advertised in the spring.
. Also discussed were ways to update curriculum more frequently. Schwarz said curriculum areas gets updated every seven years but said with, “technology turning over more often it might be prudent to look at what other districts are doing to update curriculums more often.”
. In other action in October, the school board approved a contract in the amount of $25,384 for Northstar Cabling and Communications to upgrade the school’s fiber optic infrastructure.
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