NLS takes look at its AYP plans, report on audit, too
NEW LONDON -- The New London-Spicer School Board on Monday reviewed district and site improvement plans required by No Child Left Behind.
Both plans are required because the district and Prairie Woods Elementary School are not making adequate yearly progress toward having 100 percent of students achieving at grade level by 2014.
The plans are required to be submitted to the state by Wednesday.
At the elementary le-vel, special education students and stud-ents receiving free or reduced-pr-ice lunches are not meeting AYP goals in reading.
Similarly, the district plan is required because special education students are not reaching goals in math and reading.
The board heard the 2010 audit report by Conway, Deuth and Schmiesing CPAs Jim Gilman and Darrin Ogdahl. The audit showed the district had a negative $63,811 in its general fund on June 30 of this year, which is $68,940 less than the $5,129 in the fund on June 30, 2009.
The deficit is largely due to the fact that the district anticipated receiving about $300,000 in special education revenue from the state, according to Superintendent Paul Carlson. However, state payments totaled only about $185,000.
The total unreserved fund balance was a negative $246,491, or about 1.8 percent of the district's annual expenditures.
The state defines districts with a negative fund balance of more than 2.5 percent as in "statutory operating debt" and requires officials to work with the state and make plans to get out of the debt situation.
The board also approved a resolution canvassing the election of school board members in the general election.
Board members Holli Cogelow Ruter, Dan DeGeest, Helena Lungstrom and Robert Moller were re-elected to four-year terms that begin in January.
Moller thanked challenger Todd Neumann for running for school board, noting that many school districts had more board seats open than candidates this election season.
A total of 4,234 voters cast ballots in the school board election.
