By Patrick Tepoorten

After hearing the particulars of the 2006-07 budget from financial director Randi Johnson at their last meeting, the North Branch school board officially adopted the budget for the upcoming year last Thursday.

In total, the budget is just over $41 million including all of the districts various funds. Excluding construction, the district plans expenditures of $39.2 million and revenues of $38.1 million, making the 06-07 budget a ìdeficitî budget. The gap between revenue and expenditure will be made up using the general fund balance. The district has enough there to cover the deficit and still maintain a $1 million cushion.

In other school board news:

ï The board heard the first reading of policy 533, a wellness policy required of the district by the No Child Left Behind Act. The presentation, given by Jan Ashlin, showed the district to be strong in many areas, including ìovercoming barriers to learning,î a zero tolerance attitude toward bullying, and in areas of supervision. Ashlin pointed out though, that the district needs improvement in the areas of student hand-washing, teacher asthma awareness, healthy food choices, and in the area of physical activity.

She encouraged the district to address those concerns in the coming year and was confident that at the end of the next school year, the district will have shown marked improvement in those areas.

ï The board approved Policy 903 pertaining to visitors to district sites. Parents desiring to visit classrooms or other areas within the district may not do so without approval from the principalís office. Written approval must be presented to teachers upon visiting.

Superintendent Rodney Reisnouer said the policy was needed to ìminimize disruptionsî and tighten security.

ï Board members Kirby Ekstrom, Karen Saltis, and Donna Hubbard were appointed to represent the district at a series of joint meetings between the city of North Branch and the district. The first of those meetings is scheduled for June 22. The meetings were described as similar to the school boardís working sessions.

ï Carpet and tile project bids were awarded to MCI, totaling $78,480. The board approved bid requests for garbage services and fuel and gasoline.

With school out for the summer, the board will reduce to one meeting per month, with the next to be held July 13.