By MaryHelen Swanson

School budgets are giving many districts a big headache. In Rush City, that not necessarily the case, yet the school board has cautiously approved a budget for the next school year.

The district reserves currently are sufficient according to the districtís policy of maintaining a 20 percent safety net. But the board is looking at some added costs to the 2004-05 budget that could draw down on those reserves.

Revenue from additional student enrollment should help with the budget, and business manager Laureen Frost noted last week that there are already 8 new students at the elementary level. New students at the high school level usually arenít known until closer to opening of school, she said.

But things such as curriculum costs are increasing. Superintendent Tim Eklund, presiding at his last board meeting, noted the big expense of upgrading the core curriculum courses of math, English, social studies and science to comply with the stateís new standards. This year $79,000 is being added to the budget for new math books.

Communications curriculum upgrades (English, foreign language etc.) will be added to the budget also at a cost of $53,000.

Other items for this yearís budget include an unplanned overage in the elementary project of nearly $130,000, $65,000 for ballfield development, $10,000 for increases in property and liability insurance, $16,500 for teacher retirement and severance, $10,000 for gas and oil increases, $50,000 payment for bus garage, $22,000 for a vehicle, $35,000 to clean up the old bus garage site, $17,000 to install a sidewalk on the south side of the new elementary addition (per requirement of the state fire marshall), and continuing expenses in the superintendentís office of $33,000. Additionally, the district is entering a teacher negotiation year so an unknown exists for salary and lane change increases.

In all, the increase for next yearís budget is nearly three-quarters of $1 million dollars.

Eklund said the district should not be in trouble, but it may have to go into its reserves. The picture is not as bleak as it looks, he said, but there is the greater potential for dipping into reserves than there has been since 1997, the last time it was necessary.
The new administration, he said, will have to keep an eye on capital expenses at the facilities.

Eklund said even if there is a zero increase in funding from the state in the next biennium, Rush City would have enough money to maintain operations.

Community Ed needs attention

The Community Education budget is in deficit condition for next year by $41,000. Part of it is due to a penalty from the state for not spending its money; part is because the state is not giving as much. Cool weather in the summer makes a significant difference, too, on the aquatic center budget.

Eklund believes this year it will be necessary to make some decisions about community education.

The district, he said, needs to decide what it wants community education to be. The Family Center is fine, he said, summer recreation is holding its own, especially with donations.

But other areas of community education need help, he said.

Eklund said incoming superintendent Dr. James Redfield has the experience to deal with the community education issues. He suggested this be a focus for the board.

Bus garage approved

The district will proceed with the construction of a garage to hold the school buses.

Seven bids were received and the board awarded the project to Ebert Construction, of Corcoran, in the amount of $482,900. This includes an additional four bays from the original bid package, making the garage available for 18 buses.

Ebert Const. is the company that did the roof replacement work on the high school. Eklund said there have been no leaks or drips or any problems with the new roof. He was pleased with the company.

The new garage will be built north of the football field. The district will discuss financing options at the July 15 meeting. It will not have insulated doors and will not be a heated building. It will be able to house all of the districtís buses and other vehicles.

In other business, the board:

ï Accepted the resignations of Alyson Gullette, teacher of the deaf and hard of hearing and visually impaired, and Scott Arcand high school business teacher and approved a one-year leave of absence for Christina Inman. They also hired Bridget Hoolihan for high school English. Teaching positions still need filling are elementary teacher and business teacher.

ï Entered into an agreement as part of Kinger Mall Association. The school district owns 5,000 square feet of the interior for the Family Center and 5,000 square feet of the exterior.

Top of Page

©ECM Post Review

6448 Main Street
North Branch, MN 55056
Telephone: 651-674-7025
Fax: 651-674-7026
E-mail: editor.postreview@ecm-inc.com