May 5, 2025 at 7:30 AM - Budget Committee Meeting

Description:  A motion will be necessary to approve the agenda as presented (or) with changes as recommended.

Description:  Individuals may use this time to comment on any items listed as part of the meeting agenda. A copy of Board Policy 187 —Public Participation at Board Meetings is enclosed for your reference. Past practice has allowed 30 minutes for this section of the agenda.

Description: 

Attached please find the budget planning timeline for 2025-26.

Description:  The purpose of this agenda item is to review the first draft of the budget for the 25-26 school year. I have attached the first draft of the budget for your review. Please note that the first draft of the budget is based on the following:
1. The $0/student increase in the per pupil categorical aid, with a $325/student increase in the revenue limit formula
2. The personnel cost line includes an inflationary salary increase of 2.95%, implementation of the teacher and classified staff compensation systems, implementation of the classified staff opertaional referendum funds pay adjustments, a 0% increase in dental insurance rates, and a 5% increase for health insurance rates, utilities, and transportation.
3. The capital maintenance projects are funded from Fund 49
4. The first draft includes an increase of 1.4 FTE, as outlined on page 13 of the document.
5. The debt service fund includes the financial plan from the last borrowing that the board approved in March.
6. All of the remaining budget requests have been placed on hold at this time.

The second draft of the budget in June will include:
1. Grant allocations, if available
2. Staffing updates based on additional schedule changes, reallocation proposals or new positions
3. Updates to the Food Service budget (Fund 50), and other budgets as a result of School Board approved student fees
4. Updates to the gift fund (Fund 21)
5. Updates to building/department revenue accounts and corresponding expense accounts
Please let me know if you have any questions on the first draft of the budget.

Description:  Attached please find the proposed student fees for the 2025-2026 school year.  Administration is recommending approval.

Description:  Attached please find the proposed facility use fees for the 2025-2026 school year. Nick Conrad has updated several of the fees for consideration by the Budget Committee and has provided background information in the attachments for clarification. Administration is recommending approval.

Description:  The first draft of the budget includes transferring $100,000 of uitlity costs to fund 80 through the use of the DataWrangler service. Please note this transfer is grounded in properly allocating utility costs from community service usage in fund 10. The recommendation is connected a request to use these funds for continuous improvement teams for each building. Attached please find a document from Dr. Brown that explains the role of continuous improvement teams.

Administration met with Lamers on Aril 24th to discuss implementation of the school board motion from April. It is not possible to separate the costs of the app from the costs of the equpiment that is necessary for the operation of the app. Administration is recommending Lamers purchase all equipment associated with the app and security cameras as presented in their per route increase proposal. The transportation budget will need reallocation from costs currently being spent in other categories (McKinney Vento student transportation) Administration will discuss this topic at the meeting. 
 

Description:  The first draft of the budget includes an additional 1.0 FTE 1:1 para for a new student in the district. Also included is a .4 FTE increase for OT services. Both of these requests would be funded through the state transfer of service program. Administration is also proposing shifting the funding for the 2nd special education coordinator position from grant funding to district funding through the state transfer of service program. Both special ed coordinator positions would then be funded through district funds. Additional transfer of service requests may follow as students move into the district. Administration is recommending approval.

Description:  Administration met with Taher management on April 8th to review the operation of the food service program and to plan for 2025-26. The student fee agenda item includes the recommended food service fees for the 2025-26 school year. Taher management has preparing a corresponding budget proposal that is included in the packet. The estimated positive balance is slightly over $6,000.

Description:  The first draft of the budget includes an expansion of the school resource officer program to include a second officer and the transfer of $100,000 in utility costs/implementation of DataWrangler in fund 80. Administration is recommending approval.

Description:  We will ask the budget committee to meet on June 3rd or 4th. We will review budget revisions for 2024-25 and the second draft of the budget for 2025-26.

Description:  This agenda item is regarding the completion of  the initial process of reposting all salary and benefits for the 2024-25 school year, the post-employment benefit payments we have made for 24-25  and  the nonsalary/benefit data such as legal fees, special education categorical aid revenues, etc. The end result of this process will be a budget revision presented in early June.