School District 191 Budget Work Continues

Work continues on finalizing the Burnsville-Eagan-Savage School District’s budget for the 2012-13 school year.

During its meeting Thursday night, the District 191 Board of Education voted to add nearly $1.4 million of spending to its revised Fiscal Year 2013 budget, which now sits at $109.4 million.

The board action was the latest step in formulating the district’s budget for next school year, which is required by state law to be approved by June 30.

Some of the approved spending increase is linked to the board’s decision to for next year, rather than to move ahead with a 155-day calendar that would have added 36 minutes to each school day and created several three- and four-day weekends for students.

If the 155-day calendar proposal—which proved to be unpopular among parents speaking at —would have been instituted, District 191 would have been the first Twin Cities metro area district to reduce the number of school days to cut costs.

According to budget documents presented by Superintendent Randy Clegg during Thursday's meeting, additional spending would be paid for with $500,000 in new Literacy Incentive Aid and $1 million from the district’s unassigned fund balance.

What’s more, the district recently announced it would save $900,00 during the next school year because of a new employee health insurance contract.

Taking the $1 million from the unassigned fund balance leaves the account with about 8 percent of anticipated expenditures. Board policy is to have at least an 8-percent unassigned fund balance.

Spending increases proposed by district staff and approved by the school board include:

• Restoring one-mile elementary walking distance

• Restoring three high school full-time equivalent positions

• Restoring three junior high school FTEs

• Restoring one guidance FTE

• Restoring high school athletic funding

• Increasing funding for miscellaneous stipends

• Restoring 1.5 FTE secondary building clerical

• Restoring one student registration clerical

• Restoring administrative and operational technology

• Restoring assessment funding

• Restoring instructional resources

• Restoring curriculum adoptions

The board also voted to add a 1.5 FTE to the district’s English as a Second Language Learner program.

To view the budget document, click here.

A video of Thursday’s meeting can be viewed by clicking here. An agenda is available here.

District staff is expected to present more budget materials to board members at their June 7 meeting.